Prospect Info: 2022 Way-Too-Early Devils-Centric Mock Draft

[StevenToddIves]

With the all-star break upon us, it seemed like a good time to post up a way too early 2022 mock draft. As I always emphasize, this is NOT a draft ranking. My initial 2022 rankings will be posted later in the month for everyone to argue with. This is just an early idea of organizational need and draft tendency combined with an early look (for many of you) of the consensus top prospects who will be available in the 2022 draft.

I went through the first 4 picks of the second round, to give Devils fans not just one but two players to argue about.

1. Montreal: C Shane Wright, Kingston OHL — desperate for any talent or good press, the Habs get their #1 center and franchise player for the foreseeable future; Wright is a tremendous two-way pivot with a Stamkos-like rocket of a shot
2. Arizona: C Logan Cooley, US-NTDP the Coyotes are bereft of top-line centers in the prospect pool or pros; Cooley is the best skating center in the draft and plays a high-skilled game with tremendous compete and two-way ability
3. Seattle: RD Simon Nemec, HK Nitra Slovakia after taking their future franchise center in Beniers last year, the Kraken continue to build with a two-way franchise D in Nemec, who is currently playing at an all-star level in a men’s league as a teenager.
4. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: RD David Jiricek, HK Plzen Czechia bereft of RD in the system, the Devils get a huge, physical two-way beast with a game polished beyond his years and a howitzer of a shot. Though the Devils are likely to be tempted to grab a top winger to pair with Hughes or Hischier, the lure of a future thunder and lightning dominant D duo of Luke Hughes and Jiricek proves too much to pass up upon.
5. Buffalo: C Matt Savoie Winnipeg WHL like many teams at the top of the 2022 draft, Buffalo is heavily in the market for a #1 center for the future; Savoie is small at 5’9 but also represents a ridiculously skilled, high-compete package, currently dominating the WHL with his prolific scoring talents
6. Ottawa: LW/C Cutter Gauthier, US-NTDP the Senators don’t care what anyone thinks, they just draft who they want — and they usually want big, physical players they can project for their top 6. Gauthier might be the best pure power forward in the draft, a slick-skating and truculent 6’3 beast with the scoring prowess to give him top-line potential.
7. Philadelphia: LW Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS Finland it doesn’t matter what your team’s needs are, the Slovakian Slafkovsky is a unicorn — a 6’4 physical monster down low who combines this with the soft hands and elite passing ability of a 5’10 skill forward.
8. Columbus: RW Joakim Kemell, TPS Finland considered to be perhaps the best pure scorer in the draft after Wright, Kemell adds a very respectable 200-foot game to his elite shooting ability. The Blue Jackets need goals, and goals are the name of Kemell’s game.
9. Columbus: C Conor Geekie, Winnipeg WHL Columbus has long lacked a true #1 center, and despite some polarization due to his on-ice inconsistency, Geekie has such potential; he’s a 6’3 beast with a litany of elite or near-elite offensive skills
10. NY Islanders: RW/C Frank Nazar, US-NTDP with an uncharacteristically high draft position, the Islanders grab their most talented player since Barzal; Nazar somehow combines the puck wizardry of an all-star top-liner with the grit and compete of a 4th line grinder.
11. Detroit: W Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk KHL Wings GM Stevie Yzerman has always loved hockey IQ and compete level, and Yurov is almost the perfect mix of these elements — combined with the offensive skill to play with high-end talents like Larkin and Raymond.
12. Vancouver: RW Brad Lambert, TPS Finland the Canucks go high risk/high reward with the fastest skater and perhaps most skilled player in the entire draft, but also a player whose motor and hockey awareness have come into question with a disappointing draft-eligible season.
13. Winnipeg: RD Ryan Chesley, US-NTDP one of the best drafting teams in the NHL year in and year out, the Jets are smart enough to eschew the faulty presumption that amateur defensemen can be judged solely on statistics and get the physical Chesley, who offers the rare combination of great skates, smothering defense and a cannon-like shot
14. San Jose: C Marko Kasper, Rogle SHL no one drafts out of central Europe like the Sharks, who take the native Austrian Kasper; an extremely fast, physical and competitive two-way center who could represent the perfect second-line foil behind future star William Eklund
15. Dallas: LW Ivan Miroshnichenko, Omskie VHL the Stars swing for the fences with the almost preternaturally talented Russian — a player whose talent alone rates him as a top 3 pick, but has been questioned for his hockey sense and team play.
16. Anaheim: C/RW Nathan Gaucher, Quebec QMJHL the Ducks love them big and physical — Gaucher offers those elements in spades, along with a nose for the net and the shot to back it up; a true old school power forward
17. Edmonton: RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Djurgardens SHL the Oilers need goal-scorers to surround their dynamic center duo of McDavid/Draisaitl; Lekkerimaki’s shot and pure scoring acumen rival top of the draft names like Kemell and Savoie
18. Los Angeles: LD Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw OHL organizationally loaded at every position except LD, the Kings check that box too with the flashy offensive wizard who is currently setting the OHL on fire with his end to end rushes and better-than-average defensive abilities
19. Calgary: LD Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw WHL it’s been half a decade since the Flames took a D in the top 50 picks and it’s starting to wear on the organization; Mateychuk is a tremendous offensive defenseman with a strong compete level which allows him to succeed defensively as well despite his size limitations
20. Washington: W Alexander Perevalov, Loko Yaroslavl MHL the Caps owe much of their success over the past decade to an ability to scout Russian players, so they’ll certainly be in the know with Perevalov — a scintillatingly skilled absolute monster competitor who might be the most underrated forward right now in the entire 2022 class
21. Boston: LD Owen Pickering, Swift Current WHL the Bruins have drafted quite poorly over the past half decade and it’s especially showing in their blueline; Pickering’s mix of size/skating/skill have many seeing him as a sneaky high-upside pick towards the end of the first round
22. St. Louis: RD Tristan Luneau, Gatineau QMJHL a subtle and smooth all-situations defenseman, Luneau is more effective than he is flashy and a perfect candidate for a future Blues middle pairing
23. Nashville: C Rutger McGroarty, US-NTDP a throwback two-way skill center who can excel in myriad roles despite average skating, McGroarty is precisely the type of character/versatile player GM David Poile has keyed on over the years
24. Pittsburgh: RW Jimmy Snuggerud, US-NTDP the Pens grab a fast, big and skilled winger to make room for and finish chances from their outstanding center dup of Crosby and Malkin
25. NY Rangers: RD Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville QMJHL the Rangers continue their desire to beef up with the 6’5 smooth-skating giant; an exceptionally intriguing prospect with some intriguing offensive upside and a serious mean streak
26. Tampa Bay: W Gleb Trikozov, Omskie MHL after years of low drafting associated with successful hockey seasons, the Lightning juice up the talent pool with the exceptional combination of high IQ and sublime skill offered by Gleb Trikozov
27. Minnesota: RW Filip Mesar, Poprad Slovakia the Wild continue their amassing of high-end talent with the Slovakian Mesar, an outstanding skater with a litany of offensive skills in his high-upside arsenal
28. Toronto: LW Isaac Howard, US-NTDP the Leafs do not care what size a prospect is, and although the sharpshooting, skilled Howard could fall to the end of the first round, Toronto is sure to value the 5’9 scorer just as highly as if he were 6’0
29. Buffalo: LW Liam Ohgren, Djurgardens J20 Sweden Jr. the Sabres continue stockpiling top 6 forwards with Ohgren, a do-it-all, high motor winger with scoring chops
30. Buffalo: C Jack Hughes, Northeastern NCAA no, not that Jack Hughes… this one is a balls-to-the-wall, high effort two-way pivot who combines his complete game with high-end playmaking ability
31. Arizona: RD Elias Salomonsson, Skelleftea J20 Sweden Jr. tough to say what Arizona will do with their later picks after dropping the ball on every single pick after their top 10 grab of Guenther in 2021; Salomonsson offers off-the-charts athleticism but could fall due to questionable decision making
32. Arizona: LD Kevin Korchinski, Seattle WHL after concentrating on F at the top of the 2021 draft (and according to my scenario in 2022), I expect the Coyotes to go for several blueliners with their later picks
33. Montreal: LD Calle Odelius, Djurgardens Sweden if they get their franchise forward in Wright, expect the Habs to focus on building the D behind him
34. Arizona: C Noah Ostlund, Djurgardens Sweden Ostlund’s lack of size but high-skill and compete have some comparing him to Sebastian Aho at a similar age
35. Seattle: RW Devin Kaplan, US-NTDP a big, fast gamer who is ferocious on the forecheck and never quits on a puck; plays simple, but excels at what is simple
36. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: LW Jiri Kulich, Karlovy Czechia after getting a franchise RD early, I expect the Devils to shoot for the moon with a potential top-6 forward with their next pick; Kulich is sorely underrated by the consensus — a ferocious competitor who is always funneling pucks to net when he’s got it or himself to the net when he does not. The Devils need forwards who can excel in the interior, and Kulich adds skating, shooting and skill to his impressive crease-crashing repertoire. Combined with Jiricek, Kulich would not only give the Devils a tremendous high-upside early draft haul, but also both of the two best Czechs in the draft.

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[Ripshot 43]

Thank you.

We are not worthy (as evident by the crazies in every other thread).

 

[StevenToddIves]

Thank you.

We are not worthy (as evident by the crazies in every other thread).

Yeah there's some crazy stuff on the Devils main boards. People want to trade Nico Hischier for Connor Garland. I figured I'd give us something fun and sensible to read.

 

[Guttersniped]

I won’t pretend to understand the Rangers these days, they’re buried under LWs and they used their 2021 pick on… a LW, but I assume they go C or RW.

Their center future is actually fun UFA mystery in a league with very few of them (if San Jose keeps Hertl then JT Miller? keep Strome? Who knows.) They very likely won’t have the 1st, the TDL will change some stuff up.

Nazar to the aisles? Gross.

LA and Mintyukov is sick.

Ottawa can’t just keep taking such Ottawa-y picks, can they? That early for him? Over Morgan Geekie? (Personally not a huge Geekie fan but they need centers.)

Just ramblings, I’m terrible at mock drafts and it’s so early.

 

[Lou Bloom]

Great list! At this point, I've only seen a handful of the top prospects in this class and if I were to rank them I'd go (In no particular order)
Tier 1 - Wright, Savoie and Jiricek - Love all three, think each of them are high impact players.
Tier 2- Nemec, Cooley, Kemmel and Nazar - Well rounded, high end two way players who'll be fixtures in your top 6/top 4.
Tier 3 - Lambert, Slafkovsky, Geekie and Miroshnichenko - High risk/High reward type players who have some elite traits but overall game is still a work in progress, Could rise or fall depending on how they do the rest of the way.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Great list! At this point, I've only seen a handful of the top prospects in this class and if I were to rank them I'd go (In no particular order)
Tier 1 - Wright, Savoie and Jiricek - Love all three, think each of them are high impact players.
Tier 2- Nemec, Cooley, Kemmel and Nazar - Well rounded, high end two way players who'll be fixtures in your top 6/top 4.
Tier 3 - Lambert, Slafkovsky, Geekie and Miroshnichenko - High risk/High reward type players who have some elite traits but overall game is still a work in progress, Could rise or fall depending on how they do the rest of the way.

You'll see my rankings soon, but I can say now:

1) Cooley is every bit as offensively dynamic as Savoie, and Nazar is also in that conversation.
2) You forgot Yurov in your Tier 2 -- he pretty much defines that description.
3) Slafkovsky is not high risk. The guy can hold off two defensemen at once and his passing is elite. The question is not whether he will make the NHL, but rather how much he'll score when he gets there.
4) I have some guys ahead of the players you listed in your tier 3. I think the consensus is sleeping on names like Perevalov, Gauthier, Chesley and Kasper.

 

[Devs3cups]

I’m 100% sold on Nemec and Jiricek. I have to dig more on the forwards though.

 

[Lou Bloom]

You'll see my rankings soon, but I can say now:

1) Cooley is every bit as offensively dynamic as Savoie, and Nazar is also in that conversation.
2) You forgot Yurov in your Tier 2 -- he pretty much defines that description.
3) Slafkovsky is not high risk. The guy can hold off two defensemen at once and his passing is elite. The question is not whether he will make the NHL, but rather how much he'll score when he gets there.
4) I have some guys ahead of the players you listed in your tier 3. I think the consensus is sleeping on names like Perevalov, Gauthier, Chesley and Kasper.

1. I don't think the difference is overwhelming (I'd probably rank Savoie 3rd behind Wright and Jiricek, and Cooley 4th) but I do think Savoie has more raw talent as far as offensive ability is concerned.
2. I've yet to watch Yurov so I didn't rank him, but if he's as good as I heard there's a good chance you're right.
3. I agree Slafkovsky will at the very least be a bottom sixer, but I do have concerns about how much offense is there and if that's all he'll be (which is a big risk for a projected top 10 pick). With that said I think the upside if tantalizing with a player like him and I can understand if someone would rank him much higher but I'm more of a fan of the players ahead of him at this moment.
4. Like I said I just haven't watched them yet, I will say that I'm much lower on Geekie and Miroshnichenko so I suspect multiple players that I haven't watched will be ahead of them.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I’d like this, chances are the enigma known as Damon Severson probably won’t be re upped next year especially with a similar type of defenseman in John Klingberg testing the market this summer and probably getting a boat load of cash. Getting a good RHD prospect would be alright with me since the forwards seem to be in better shape and honestly Devils probably need more NHL talent via trades or free agency than say a draft pick right now at the wings with center already set for the next 10-15 years.

 

[OmNomNom]

typo on geekie @StevenToddIves ! unless morgan is reentering draft

 

[Billdo]

I look forward to your write ups and draft stuff every year. Well done, yet again.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I’m 100% sold on Nemec and Jiricek. I have to dig more on the forwards though.

Ask me questions about any forward you'd like here or on the 2022 draft thread and I'll be glad to answer. You can also ask @Guadana , who is better at pure scouting/projection than I am.

 

[StevenToddIves]

1. I don't think the difference is overwhelming (I'd probably rank Savoie 3rd behind Wright and Jiricek, and Cooley 4th) but I do think Savoie has more raw talent as far as offensive ability is concerned.
2. I've yet to watch Yurov so I didn't rank him, but if he's as good as I heard there's a good chance you're right.
3. I agree Slafkovsky will at the very least be a bottom sixer, but I do have concerns about how much offense is there and if that's all he'll be (which is a big risk for a projected top 10 pick). With that said I think the upside if tantalizing with a player like him and I can understand if someone would rank him much higher but I'm more of a fan of the players ahead of him at this moment.
4. Like I said I just haven't watched them yet, I will say that I'm much lower on Geekie and Miroshnichenko so I suspect multiple players that I haven't watched will be ahead of them.

Haha, so many numbers,

1. I'm also a big fan of Savoie. He's super skilled and fun to watch. My point was -- though we can all have preferences of course -- the talent gap between Savoie and, say, Cooley or Nazar, is not so wide that we cannot compare.
2. Watch Yurov. He's impossible not to love. His compete and intelligence are just elite, and his skill is terrific, though shy of elite. He's the Dawson Mercer-iest player in the 2022 draft. though he does not play center.
3. Slafkovsky's upside is what makes him so intriguing, because it's unique. When was the last time we saw a 6'4 bull in a china shop with silky hands and elite playmaking on an NHL wing? He's potentially kind of a unicorn. There's always risk, so can't argue with you there.
4. Geekie and Miro will not be in my top 10. They would certainly be guys to consider in the middle of the first round, but I just can't justify taking them over a all-out-effort player who also has elite skill, like Nazar or Perevalov, right now.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I’d like this, chances are the enigma known as Damon Severson probably won’t be re upped next year especially with a similar type of defenseman in John Klingberg testing the market this summer and probably getting a boat load of cash. Getting a good RHD prospect would be alright with me since the forwards seem to be in better shape and honestly Devils probably need more NHL talent via trades or free agency than say a draft pick right now at the wings with center already set for the next 10-15 years.

Early to say on Severson, though this is absolutely for another thread. Regardless, the Devils need RD in the system... badly. The top prospect is Case McCarthy, whose upside is as a shut-down, bottom 4 guy. The only other remotely viable prospect is Reilly Walsh, whose upside is essentially "faster Will Butcher", and a guy you'd likely have to shelter in third-pairing minutes. The Devils must address this somewhere in the 2022 draft, and clearly the best time would be in the first round -- especially with a top 5 pick right now and two potentially franchise RD who will be candidates to go in that range. Frankly, I don't see how the Devils can pass on Jiricek or Nemec at #3 or #4 or #5 overall, no matter how much they like the available forwards at that spot.

 

[StevenToddIves]

typo on geekie @StevenToddIves ! unless morgan is reentering draft

Fixed. Thanks. I feel awful. I hated it when my 6th grade teacher always called me my older brother's name.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I look forward to your write ups and draft stuff every year. Well done, yet again.

Thanks -- it means a lot to me. I'm not sure how long I can keep doing this -- I love it but it's a ton of work -- so I really appreciate it that you guys appreciate me.

 

[ThePrideofStockholm]

Four players from Djurgården in the top 35! To bad the mens team sucks donkey balls

 

[StevenToddIves]

Four players from Djurgården in the top 35! To bad the mens team sucks donkey balls

I really like Lekkerimaki, but so does everyone else. The kid is just a lethal goal-scorer. Ohgren is just a really safe pick for your middle six and he can produce offense, too. I expect him to go in the 25-35 range. Ostlund is a real wild-card. If he fills out a bit, he just has tremendous skill and speed, and I love his compete. But in the SHL, his (admirable) willingness to play bigger than he actually is can have him getting bounced around like a ping-pong ball, which makes me a bit nervous to use a first-round pick on him. I think Odelius is a huge wild card -- in my opinion he's blown away Salomonsson and Forsmark as the top Swedish D for the 2022 class. I really like this kid. Looking ar my preliminary rankings, I'll have Odelius in my first round, you can bet on it.

 

[NJDfan86]

Thanks for doing these! Huge fan since it gives me some players to follow. Really liking that the top of this draft has skaters who fit our needs - RHD like Nemec and Jiricek and wings with size like Slaf and Gauthier.

 

[My3Sons]

Thanks -- it means a lot to me. I'm not sure how long I can keep doing this -- I love it but it's a ton of work -- so I really appreciate it that you guys appreciate me.

We know this is a labor of love for you and we are the appreciative beneficiaries. Between you and @Guadana and a few others who make a real effort to watch the draft prospects it really livens up the draft for all of us here since I find your posts bring in other good pasts on the topic that might not otherwise be shared. I think an important part of your process each year is to share your draft preferences (which you do multiple times). It’s important for those asking questions to know your evaluation has IQ and compete close to on par with skill (which is different from some analytics driven models) and that you believe defensemen have to actually defend rather than just transition the puck and put up points.

Now, for the upcoming draft NJ will take a Jiricek and somehow get another first to take a Yurov. You don’t have to wrap them up, we’ll just watch them play on the way out. Then a skilled forward with some skates and compete some more RHD and a goalie. I think that was everything on the list.

 

[The Wumpus]

Fixed. Thanks. I feel awful. I hated it when my 6th grade teacher always called me my older brother's name.

My mom would sometimes call me by
1. my dad's name (understandable)
2. my sister's name (eh)
3. the cat's name (wtf)

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

It's still early for me in terms of scouting but i'm starting to covet Slafkovsky's game. If he were right shooting it'd be a slam dunk for NJ i think.

 

[Guadana]

With the all-star break upon us, it seemed like a good time to post up a way too early 2022 mock draft. As I always emphasize, this is NOT a draft ranking. My initial 2022 rankings will be posted later in the month for everyone to argue with. This is just an early idea of organizational need and draft tendency combined with an early look (for many of you) of the consensus top prospects who will be available in the 2022 draft.

I went through the first 4 picks of the second round, to give Devils fans not just one but two players to argue about.

1. Montreal: C Shane Wright, Kingston OHL — desperate for any talent or good press, the Habs get their #1 center and franchise player for the foreseeable future; Wright is a tremendous two-way pivot with a Stamkos-like rocket of a shot
2. Arizona: C Logan Cooley, US-NTDP the Coyotes are bereft of top-line centers in the prospect pool or pros; Cooley is the best skating center in the draft and plays a high-skilled game with tremendous compete and two-way ability
3. Seattle: RD Simon Nemec, HK Nitra Slovakia after taking their future franchise center in Beniers last year, the Kraken continue to build with a two-way franchise D in Nemec, who is currently playing at an all-star level in a men’s league as a teenager.
4. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: RD David Jiricek, HK Plzen Czechia bereft of RD in the system, the Devils get a huge, physical two-way beast with a game polished beyond his years and a howitzer of a shot. Though the Devils are likely to be tempted to grab a top winger to pair with Hughes or Hischier, the lure of a future thunder and lightning dominant D duo of Luke Hughes and Jiricek proves too much to pass up upon.
5. Buffalo: C Matt Savoie Winnipeg WHL like many teams at the top of the 2022 draft, Buffalo is heavily in the market for a #1 center for the future; Savoie is small at 5’9 but also represents a ridiculously skilled, high-compete package, currently dominating the WHL with his prolific scoring talents
6. Ottawa: LW/C Cutter Gauthier, US-NTDP the Senators don’t care what anyone thinks, they just draft who they want — and they usually want big, physical players they can project for their top 6. Gauthier might be the best pure power forward in the draft, a slick-skating and truculent 6’3 beast with the scoring prowess to give him top-line potential.
7. Philadelphia: LW Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS Finland it doesn’t matter what your team’s needs are, the Slovakian Slafkovsky is a unicorn — a 6’4 physical monster down low who combines this with the soft hands and elite passing ability of a 5’10 skill forward.
8. Columbus: RW Joakim Kemell, TPS Finland considered to be perhaps the best pure scorer in the draft after Wright, Kemell adds a very respectable 200-foot game to his elite shooting ability. The Blue Jackets need goals, and goals are the name of Kemell’s game.
9. Columbus: C Conor Geekie, Winnipeg WHL Columbus has long lacked a true #1 center, and despite some polarization due to his on-ice inconsistency, Geekie has such potential; he’s a 6’3 beast with a litany of elite or near-elite offensive skills
10. NY Islanders: RW/C Frank Nazar, US-NTDP with an uncharacteristically high draft position, the Islanders grab their most talented player since Barzal; Nazar somehow combines the puck wizardry of an all-star top-liner with the grit and compete of a 4th line grinder.
11. Detroit: W Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk KHL Wings GM Stevie Yzerman has always loved hockey IQ and compete level, and Yurov is almost the perfect mix of these elements — combined with the offensive skill to play with high-end talents like Larkin and Raymond.
12. Vancouver: RW Brad Lambert, TPS Finland the Canucks go high risk/high reward with the fastest skater and perhaps most skilled player in the entire draft, but also a player whose motor and hockey awareness have come into question with a disappointing draft-eligible season.
13. Winnipeg: RD Ryan Chesley, US-NTDP one of the best drafting teams in the NHL year in and year out, the Jets are smart enough to eschew the faulty presumption that amateur defensemen can be judged solely on statistics and get the physical Chesley, who offers the rare combination of great skates, smothering defense and a cannon-like shot
14. San Jose: C Marko Kasper, Rogle SHL no one drafts out of central Europe like the Sharks, who take the native Austrian Kasper; an extremely fast, physical and competitive two-way center who could represent the perfect second-line foil behind future star William Eklund
15. Dallas: LW Ivan Miroshnichenko, Omskie VHL the Stars swing for the fences with the almost preternaturally talented Russian — a player whose talent alone rates him as a top 3 pick, but has been questioned for his hockey sense and team play.
16. Anaheim: C/RW Nathan Gaucher, Quebec QMJHL the Ducks love them big and physical — Gaucher offers those elements in spades, along with a nose for the net and the shot to back it up; a true old school power forward
17. Edmonton: RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Djurgardens SHL the Oilers need goal-scorers to surround their dynamic center duo of McDavid/Draisaitl; Lekkerimaki’s shot and pure scoring acumen rival top of the draft names like Kemell and Savoie
18. Los Angeles: LD Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw OHL organizationally loaded at every position except LD, the Kings check that box too with the flashy offensive wizard who is currently setting the OHL on fire with his end to end rushes and better-than-average defensive abilities
19. Calgary: LD Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw WHL it’s been half a decade since the Flames took a D in the top 50 picks and it’s starting to wear on the organization; Mateychuk is a tremendous offensive defenseman with a strong compete level which allows him to succeed defensively as well despite his size limitations
20. Washington: W Alexander Perevalov, Loko Yaroslavl MHL the Caps owe much of their success over the past decade to an ability to scout Russian players, so they’ll certainly be in the know with Perevalov — a scintillatingly skilled absolute monster competitor who might be the most underrated forward right now in the entire 2022 class
21. Boston: LD Owen Pickering, Swift Current WHL the Bruins have drafted quite poorly over the past half decade and it’s especially showing in their blueline; Pickering’s mix of size/skating/skill have many seeing him as a sneaky high-upside pick towards the end of the first round
22. St. Louis: RD Tristan Luneau, Gatineau QMJHL a subtle and smooth all-situations defenseman, Luneau is more effective than he is flashy and a perfect candidate for a future Blues middle pairing
23. Nashville: C Rutger McGroarty, US-NTDP a throwback two-way skill center who can excel in myriad roles despite average skating, McGroarty is precisely the type of character/versatile player GM David Poile has keyed on over the years
24. Pittsburgh: RW Jimmy Snuggerud, US-NTDP the Pens grab a fast, big and skilled winger to make room for and finish chances from their outstanding center dup of Crosby and Malkin
25. NY Rangers: RD Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville QMJHL the Rangers continue their desire to beef up with the 6’5 smooth-skating giant; an exceptionally intriguing prospect with some intriguing offensive upside and a serious mean streak
26. Tampa Bay: W Gleb Trikozov, Omskie MHL after years of low drafting associated with successful hockey seasons, the Lightning juice up the talent pool with the exceptional combination of high IQ and sublime skill offered by Gleb Trikozov
27. Minnesota: RW Filip Mesar, Poprad Slovakia the Wild continue their amassing of high-end talent with the Slovakian Mesar, an outstanding skater with a litany of offensive skills in his high-upside arsenal
28. Toronto: LW Isaac Howard, US-NTDP the Leafs do not care what size a prospect is, and although the sharpshooting, skilled Howard could fall to the end of the first round, Toronto is sure to value the 5’9 scorer just as highly as if he were 6’0
29. Buffalo: LW Liam Ohgren, Djurgardens J20 Sweden Jr. the Sabres continue stockpiling top 6 forwards with Ohgren, a do-it-all, high motor winger with scoring chops
30. Buffalo: C Jack Hughes, Northeastern NCAA no, not that Jack Hughes… this one is a balls-to-the-wall, high effort two-way pivot who combines his complete game with high-end playmaking ability
31. Arizona: RD Elias Salomonsson, Skelleftea J20 Sweden Jr. tough to say what Arizona will do with their later picks after dropping the ball on every single pick after their top 10 grab of Guenther in 2021; Salomonsson offers off-the-charts athleticism but could fall due to questionable decision making
32. Arizona: LD Kevin Korchinski, Seattle WHL after concentrating on F at the top of the 2021 draft (and according to my scenario in 2022), I expect the Coyotes to go for several blueliners with their later picks
33. Montreal: LD Calle Odelius, Djurgardens Sweden if they get their franchise forward in Wright, expect the Habs to focus on building the D behind him
34. Arizona: C Noah Ostlund, Djurgardens Sweden Ostlund’s lack of size but high-skill and compete have some comparing him to Sebastian Aho at a similar age
35. Seattle: RW Devin Kaplan, US-NTDP a big, fast gamer who is ferocious on the forecheck and never quits on a puck; plays simple, but excels at what is simple
36. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: LW Jiri Kulich, Karlovy Czechia after getting a franchise RD early, I expect the Devils to shoot for the moon with a potential top-6 forward with their next pick; Kulich is sorely underrated by the consensus — a ferocious competitor who is always funneling pucks to net when he’s got it or himself to the net when he does not. The Devils need forwards who can excel in the interior, and Kulich adds skating, shooting and skill to his impressive crease-crashing repertoire. Combined with Jiricek, Kulich would not only give the Devils a tremendous high-upside early draft haul, but also both of the two best Czechs in the draft.

I don`t know why, but I have a feeling Seattle will try to build around forwards and try to find second\first future center or potential partner for Beniers with high upside.


Columbus did draft Johnson and I don`t think they will draft another playmaking slow player. Geekie has potential as a scorer, but I think Kekka is pretty sad but true gm and he must to understand, that with Geekie`s speed he has questionable upside as scoring forward.

Buffalo will try to pick a bigger or more two way player. If they want to make some conclusions from their bad expirience.

Nazar as islanders pick? May be they should draft him, but I don`t think it`s a type of player they will.

Winnipeg did draft Perfetti and they should draft a player with another skill set if Savoie will drop to them. Ryan Chesley is a great option for them, but I think they will try to pick forward. They core is getting older and they need prospect who is closer to NHL. They love to draft defensemen in the deep of the draft.

Vancouver and Brad Lambert is a very good question.

Dallas must afraid to pick Russian scoring winger after Nichushkin pick.

I think Edmonton should draft more swiss knife player or grit. Or even playmaking winger. I think Holland understand that his golden boys are good enough to score and they need players who can make all dirty work and help to find partners in the open zones.
But it is true if Holland think smarts. Does he?

LA must draft some US player. Their prospect pool is great and I don`t know how i can predict their choice. Hope they will decide to trade Faber to the Devils for Kevin Bahl or... for Topias Vilen.

Washington could easily draft Perevalov, so f-ck them. But I think they will draft Gleb Trikozov if they decide to trust to their russian scouts this time.

Rangers must draft center.

It`s really easy to make amendments, but I havn`t enough info to make my mock draft for now. You did make great work. As always.

 

[Guadana]

We know this is a labor of love for you and we are the appreciative beneficiaries. Between you and @Guadana and a few others who make a real effort to watch the draft prospects it really livens up the draft for all of us here since I find your posts bring in other good pasts on the topic that might not otherwise be shared. I think an important part of your process each year is to share your draft preferences (which you do multiple times). It’s important for those asking questions to know your evaluation has IQ and compete close to on par with skill (which is different from some analytics driven models) and that you believe defensemen have to actually defend rather than just transition the puck and put up points.

Now, for the upcoming draft NJ will take a Jiricek and somehow get another first to take a Yurov. You don’t have to wrap them up, we’ll just watch them play on the way out. Then a skilled forward with some skates and compete some more RHD and a goalie. I think that was everything on the list.

I like idea to draft top RHD, grit scoring forward, goalie from Russia and 4\5\6 RHD by other picks.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Feels like we’re 20 years into the Habs looking for their future #1 center at the draft. Kinda funny they have to settle for Wright who isn’t drawing the usual First Overall Center comparisons.