RankPositionNameTeamLeagueRank ChangeScouting Report
1CLogan CooleyUSNTDPUSHLUp 1Strong on the puck and really creative, plays bigger than his size indicates. Has good anticipation of the play and is always where he needs to be to make a play. He has a good shot and isn't afraid of shooting from anywhere on the ice. He also uses his backhand shot a lot, something you don't see prospects use as much as and with the amount of success Cooley does. One of the drafts best players in transition and is good at finding holes in the opponent’s defensive structure and will make them pay for any mistake made. Pucks seem to follow Cooley around the ice. He reminds me of Patrick Kane.
2CShane WrightKingstonOHLDown 1Strong two-way game, very responsible in his own end and is always in a good position. He is a strong, powerful skater that doesn't fly but still has good acceleration to separate from opponents. Very good at getting positioning in the offensive zone, often leading to scoring chances. Isn't very flashy. He reminds me of Mikko Koivu.
3RDSimon NemecNitra MHCSlovakiaUp 1Strong skating rearguard is good at anticipating the play and knows when to jump into the play and when not to. Could see him running a powerplay in the NHL, has good vision, and is able to thread the needle against sprawling defenders. Very poised in his own end and takes time to make decisions with the puck, usually resulting in a good outlet pass. Reminds me a of Moritz Seider.
4RDDavid JiricekHC Škoda PlzenCzechiaUp 2Has a bomb from the point and is good at getting the puck through to the net when shooting it from the blueline. Not afraid to use his body and uses his body well against oncoming attackers. Has a good stick and uses it well in the defensive zone. At times it feels like Jiricek does too much out there, and he has a Jiricek vs the world mentality. He reminds me of Shea Weber.
5LWCutter GauthierUSNTDPUSHLUp 5Big, strong skating power-forward that isn't afraid to use his body. He's good at using his size to win battles along the boards and to get inside positioning on defenders in the offensive zone. He arguably has the best shot in the draft, it comes off his stick hard, and quick and often fools goalies. There aren't many players like him in the NHL, the only time you can get a player like Gauthier is to draft him. He reminds me of Chris Kreider.
6LWJuraj SlafkovskyTPSLiigaDown 3Big winger with a cannon of a shot, he is able to get the puck off his stick better than anyone in the draft, he is a great skater, defenders are often caught off guard and flat-footed against Slafkovsky because they simply don't realize how fast he is going when he gets up to speed. I find he, more often than not relies on his teammates to go retrieve pucks in the corners, rather than go in himself. I also question his decision-making at times and it also seems he is slow when surveying the ice which is something he'll need to improve if he wants to keep up with NHL skaters. He reminds me of Jesse Puljujarvi.
7RWJonathan LekkermakiDjurgardens IFSHLUp 10Goal scoring winger that is good at finding openings in the offensive zone to get a shot through to the net, he can burn you with a wrister, or a one-timer from the faceoff dot. He has good acceleration and top speed - has real good hands with good puck control and uses them good in tight on opposing goalies. He reminds me of Mika Zibanejad.
8CMatt SavoieWinnipegWHLDown 3Small but extremely skilled. Savoie has a good shot and is good at using the opposing defence to screen the goalie for him to shoot around, often leading to goals or scoring chances. Savoie can pick handle in a phonebooth and uses his vision to find teammates with ease. Savoie is one of the best skaters in the draft, and can get up to speed as fast as anyone, which allows him to be a demon in transition. For a small player, Savoie plays the game with an edge, he isn't afraid to throw a hit or go into the corners to dig out a puck, he plays a bigger game than his size would indicate. He reminds me of Tim Stutzle in this regard.
9LDLane HutsonUSNTDPUSHLNRUsually with small players, the first thing you notice about them is their size. Not Hutson, the first thing you notice is how dynamic defender a player he is. He with the ability to stop on a dime, quickly pivot and start back up getting to up speed fast. Very good at finding holes while in transition and is not afraid to carry the puck up the ice. He is a bit unorthodox when defending, at times it looks like he’s panicking but more often than not gets the job done. I believe that Hutson is the most talented player in this draft. He reminds me of Cale Makar.
10RWJoakim KemellJYPLiigaDown 3Kemell is another one of the 2022 drafts many deadly shooters, he can shoot and score from almost anywhere on the ice. He is able to position himself well on the ice to open up shooting lanes for himself and his teammates. He needs to improve his shot selection however, he takes a lot of low percentage shots when there are better plays in the scenario. He is a good skater but isn't very explosive, at times he overhandles the puck trying to do too much. He isn't afraid to use his body and is rather physical. He also draws a lot of penalties because of how dangerous he is when on the ice. He reminds me of Patrick Laine.
11RDTristan LuneauGatineauQMJHLDown 2Luneau is a very smart two-way defender. He plays a pro-style game already at the junior level. He is good at reading the play, he is able to take his time on breakouts, rarely making a bad pass or play. He is very good defensively, he has excellent gap control and he is able to use his stick and body positioning well to negate offensive pressure. He can also be physical but only does when it makes sense. He reminds me of Charlie McAvoy.
12CMarco KasperRogle BKSHLUp 6The Austrian-born centreman has really grown on me as the season has progressed. He is a two-way forward that always has his motor going. He has really good hockey IQ and that he uses to make slick passes. He is a very responsible player and is rarely caught out of position. He is a fantastic skater, with good edges that he uses too well to make cuts in the offensive, or defensive zones. Because of his skating, it allows him to be really effective when in transition. He reminds me of Elias Lindholm.
13RWDmitri BuchelnikovSKA-1946 St. PetersburgMHLUp 20Buchelnikov is an overager for this years draft, he was passed over completely last year (2021) but if he would have been born 10 days later he would be a 1st time eligible player for the 2022 draft. When watching highlights on this kid, the first thing you notice is how powerful of a one timer he has. He is extremely dangerous when left open near the faceoff dot where he will often make you pay for making this mistake. He also has a good wrist shot that is capable of beating goalies from anywhere on the ice. Buchalnikov is a fantastic skater that uses his speed well in transition to gain the offensive zone. He reads the ice well and is good at creating space for himself, often leading to scoring chances. He reminds me of Artemi Panarin.
14RWJagger FirkusMoose JawWHLDown 3Firkus is an ultra-competitive, honey badger forward - He always has his motor going. He is a great skater who is excellent in transition, where his skill is apparent every time he touches the ice. He has a really good shot that comes off his stick fast. He is good at using defenders as a screen and shoots around them, something that is difficult for goalies to read. Firkus reminds me of Brayden Point.
15CBrad LambertPelicansLiigaUp 6The most polarizing player in the 2022 draft; Lambert is the best skater in the entire draft class - he is excellent in transition as he is an automatic zone entry due to his skating and puck handling ability. When all is said and done, Lambert could be the best player from this draft class but will he get there is the major question mark. There are some questions with his game, most notably his play without the puck and how he is already onto his third program in the Finnish league in 3 seasons along with questions about how he reads the game. He has all the tools to be an impact NHLer but can he put it all together is the question. He reminds me of Josh Ho-Sang during his draft season.
16LDKevin KorchinskiSeattleWHLUp 3Korchinski is one of the most electric defenders in the draft and it wouldn't surprise me if he went top-10 this year. He is a poised offensive defender that reads the game well. He is a great skater with real good edgework - He is the best defender in the draft at establishing a breakout for his team. He uses his vision to read defenders and anticipate their next movements well and adjusting as he see fit. He uses his vision similarly in the offensive zone to great success. He reminds me a lot of Thomas Chabot.
17RDNoah WarrenGatineauQMJHLDown 8Noah Warren is a big, physical, two way defender. His combination of size, physicality and skating ability is something you don't see too often. He uses his size well in the defensive zone to outmatch most anyone in puck battles. He uses his stick well to nullify oncoming attackers and uses his gaps well to negate shot attempts for his opponents. When Warren skates, he almost makes it look easy, it's something that you rarely see with guys as big as him. I see Warren as a real good complementary defender that pairs well with an elite offensive left D, if this guy pans out as I expect, he's the type of defender you win with come playoff time. He reminds me of Adam Pelech.
18LDDenton MateychukMoose JawWHLDown 5Mateychuk is a small, but ultra-competitive two-way defender that isn't afraid to jump in the play to create scoring chances. He has good edgework and has good top-end speed that uses his elusiveness well. He has a good shot from the point that he does a good job at getting in by defenders through traffic. He has good vision to find his teammates in transition and during breakouts, often threading it through multiple defenders to make a play. He'll need to make improvements in his own zone and play more passive if he wants to make it to the next level. He reminds me of Quinn Hughes
19RWDanila YurovMetallurgKHLDown 7Yurov is a smart two-way forward that has good vision and playmaking ability. When Yurov scores his goals, more often that not it comes within 5 feet of the goalie, where he scores a lot in transition. He is a good skater but it's something I want to see more improvement with going forward. He uses his stick well in the defensive zone to force turnovers, often creating scoring chances for his teams. I question his high-end potential. He reminds me of Valeri Nichushkin.
20LWIsaac HowardUSNTDPUSHLUp 7Isaac Howard is an offensive winger who put up really good numbers for the US national team this season. He played alongside fellow 2022 NHL draft eligibles Logan Cooley and Frank Nazar. Howard is a great skater, he has the acceleration and quickness to always keep defenders on edge, however, I would like to see some improvements on his top-end skill before he reaches the NHL. Howard has a good shot that can beat you from almost anywhere. He has this ability to get lost in coverage a lot and is often open for scoring chances. He's good at reading the play and can feather passes through the defense to his target. One thing about Howard is how consistent a producer he has been throughout his young career. He reminds me of Troy Terry.
21LDPavel MintyukovSaginawOHLDown 6Milyukov is a guy that really came out of nowhere since the beginning of the season and has established himself as the clear second-best player from the OHL in the 2022 NHL draft. Mintyukov is similar to Korchinski and Matekychuk in that all three are excellent in transition and with their breakout plays. At times Mintyukov can look like an effortless skater, but as the intensity of the game goes up, I find his skating is average at best. He is really good in the offensive zone and has the ability to use his vision to find teammates in open lanes. He has a really good shot from the point and often gets it through to the net, often causing rebounds and additional scoring chances as a result. He reminds me of Mikhail Sergachev.
22W/CFilip MesarHK PopradSlovakiaDown 8Filip Mesar is an offensive winger that sees the ice very well. One of the first things that stands out with Mesar is his vision and his ability to find plays that most other players would have difficulty seeing. He is a very good skater that uses his mobility well in transition to gain the offensive zone. Mesar may not be the biggest player but he plays rather physical for a smaller guy, his motor is always going on the ice and he has a never give up attitude. He reminds me of Daniel Alfredsson.
23LWLiam OhgrenDjurgardens IFSHLUp 4Ohgren was the captain of the Sweden u18 team that won gold at the u-18's. He is a two-way forward that pairs good vision with also being a very good skater - he has good acceleration and top speed that allows him to burn past defenders if he get a step on them. He could however improve on his edges. Ohgren has a good wrist that gets off his stick quick with power and accuracy. He is responsible defensively also, using his stick to take away passing lanes and shooting lanes well. He reminds me of David Perron.
24CJiri KulichHC Karlovy VaryCzechiaUp 30Kulich, for the majority of the season was flying under the radar. He really had his coming out party at the u-18's where he lead the tournament in goal scoring. Kulich is a good two-way centre that uses vision to anticipate plays well in both the offensive and defensive zones. Kulich has a good motor and never gives up on the play, he uses his mobility well to backcheck as good as any prospect in the draft. Kulich is good at getting into scoring areas on the ice, and finding holes in the defense to create scoring chances for his team. I really like Kulich and feel he is one of the more polished player in the draft class. He reminds me of Andrew Copp.
25CFrank NazarUSNTDPUSHLDown 8Strong skater that I find takes shifts off at times, he has good offensive awareness and has strong playmaking abilities. I find he has a tendency of losing pucks and isn't good at taking any sort of physical contact. Defensive awareness like most kids his age is suspect.
26RWJimmy SnuggerudUSNTDPUSHLDown 1Snuggerud is a player that has a good base to build on. He is strong on his stakes and is good at protecting the puck against defenders in the offensive zone. He uses this to cut to the middle of the ice and create scoring chances for his team. Has has a good shot and has flashes of high end skill throughout the game. He is a good passer and has good vision to find teammates in scoring lanes. He reminds me of Brayden Schenn.
27CNoah OstlundDjurgardens IFSHLUp 29
Ostund is a very smart centreman with a good motor. He is the type of player that makes everyone around him better. He may not be the best skater but his is elusive and uses his agility well in the offensive zone to dip and dive around defenders. He has great vision and paired with his hands allow him to see and make plays in the offensive zone. At times it looks like Ostlund is slowing down the game and controlling the pace of play himself. He is responsible in his own end where is good at getting his stick in passing and shooting lanes. He reminds me of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
28RDRyan ChesleyUSNTDPUSHLDown 6Chesley is a two-way defender with great hockey IQ. The first thing you'll notice about Chesley is how good a defender he is and how poised he is in the defensive zone. He has good gaps and is a wall if you're coming in on him 1-on-1, where he does a great job separating an attacker from the puck. Chesley does the little things on the ice well that coaches love, he is not afraid to sacrifice his body, makes smart reads on the breakout and is very reliable, almost always makes a smart play. He reminds me of Jake Sanderson.
29CRieger LorenzOkotoks OilersAJHLDown 9Lorenz is very versatile. He is a well rounded centreman that does most things well. He is quick skater that always has his motor going. He is not afraid to go into the corners to dig out a loose puck or to block a shot. He has a never give up type of attitude. With his skating, he is able to generate space for his teammates by driving defenders back opening up lanes for his teammates to use to get into scoring opportunities. He reminds me of Dylan Holloway.
30CRutger McGroartyUSNTDPUSHLUp 1McGroarty is a power forward that possesses great hockey IQ and a fantastic work ethic. He is able to use his size and IQ well to cut off attackers and quickly transition it into offense. He uses his body well to protect the puck when in the offensive zone and does a good job at finding passing lanes to his teammates which often lead to scoring chances. He could use some work on his skating but that's not to say it's bad, he needs to work on his top-end speed going forward. I feel like McGroarty is a safer pick, he's a complete player without much flash. He reminds me of Colin White.
31CConnor GeekieWinnipegWHLDown 7Geekie is probably the most polarizing player in this year's draft class. He possesses the size, physical tools, and skill that leave most scouts drooling over his potential. I don't think he uses his size all that well in the offensive zone, I rarely see him use it to gain positioning on defenders for scoring chances and he likes to divert getting pucks in corners to his teammates when he could be dominant in this regard if he wanted to be. You will often see him floating in the slot awaiting a pass for a shot, something that I think is a strength in his game. The word that most accurately describes Geekie is "Potential" however I don't think he'll ever come close to reaching it. He reminds me of Logan Brown.
32RDTy NelsonNorth BayOHLUp 16Nelson is a small two-way defender out of the OHL. He is a great skater that may lack in top-end speed for a smaller player but more than makes up for it in his acceleration and elusiveness. He has good vision that he uses to feather difficult passes through multiple defenders in the offensive zone to create scoring chances for his teammates. He has a good shot from the point that often finds its way to the net. He even broke a puck in two this season. He is a good puck handler that he uses to get out of tricky situations. He reminds me of Evan Bouchard.
33LDLian BichselLeksands IFSHLUp 29
34CPaul LudwinskiKingstonOHLDown 6
35C/RWGleb TrikozovOmskie YastrebyMHLNR
36W/CVictor NeuchevAvto YekanterinbergMHLNR
37LDCalle OdeliusDjurgardens IFSHLUp 18
38CJack D. HughesNortheastern Univ.NCAADown 1
39RWJordan DumaisHalifaxQMJHLDown 4
40CJake KarabelaGuelphOHLEven
41LWVinzenz RohrerOttawaOHLDown 11
42CMatyas SapovalivSaginawOHLDown 10
43LDTomas HamaraTapparaLiigaNR
44LWAlexander PerevalovLokomotiv YaroslavlKHLDown 6
45LWJulian LutzEHC MünchenDELUp 16
46LDVladimir GrudininCSKA MoskavaKHLNR
47LDOwen PickeringSwift CurrentWHLDown 21
48COwen BeckMississaugaOHLUp 10
49RDSeamus CaseyUSNTDPUSHLDown 5
50RDSam RinzelChaska HighUSHSUp 14
51CMarcel MahkovecKrefelder EV 1981 U23Germany 3NR
52LWReid SchaeferSeattleWHLEven
53CNathan GaucherQuebecQMJHLDown 8
54RDMaveric LamoureuxDrummondvilleQMJHLDown 21
55RDMichael FisherSt. Mark's SchoolUSHSNR
56RW/LWAdam SykoraHK NitraSlovakiaNR
57CAdam IngramYoungstownUSHLDown 8
58RDMattias HavelidLinkoping HCSHLNR
59CDavid GoyetteSudburyOHLDown 13
60CFilip BystedtLinkoping HCSHLDown 1
61RDChristan KyrouErieOHLDown 1
62CLogan MorrisonHamiltonOHLNR
63LDIsaiah GeorgeLondonOHLDown 24
64LWAlex BumpPrior LakeUSHSDown 13
65RDZach BookmanBrooks BanditsAJHLNR
66CLuca Del Bel BelluzMississaugaOHLDown 43
67LDSimon ForsmarkOrebro HKSHLNR
68CTucker RobertsonPeterboroughOHLDown 32
69LWJani NymanIlvesLiigaDown 6
70CFraser MintenKamloopsWHLNR
71LWOwen Van SteenselNorth BayOHLNR
72CJere LassilaJYPLiigaNR
73RDElias SalomonssonSkellefteaSHLDown 23
74LWDylan JamesSioux CityUSHLNR
75CCameron LundGreen BayUSHLNR
76CCedrick GuindonOwen SoundOHLDown 34
77CDanny ZhilkinGuelphOHLDown 24
78LDMatthew MordonSt. Andrews CollegeCAHSNR
79CSamuel SavoieGatineauQMJHLNR
80CRyan GreeneGreen BauUSHLNR
81LDElias PetterssonOrebro HKSHLNR
82LDMats LindgrenKamloopsWHLDown 39
83CServac PetrovskyOwen SoundOHLDown 26
84RWCruz LuciusUSNTDPUSHLNR
85RWDevin KaplanUSNTDPUSHLNR
86CHunter HaightBarrieOHLNR
87RDDavid SpacekSherbrookeQMJHLNR
88LDJake LivanavageChicagoUSHLNR
89CTopi RonniTapparaLiigaDown 48
90LDTyson JugnauthWest KelownaBCHLNR
91LWKirill DolhenkovKrasnaya Armiya MoskvaMHLNR
92RDOtto SalinHIFKLiigaNR
93LWBeau JelsmaBarrieOHLNR
94LDSamuel MayerPeterboroughOHLNR
95CPano FimisNiagaraOHLNR
96LDAlexander PelevinChaika Nizhny NovogorodMHLNR
HMGTyler BrennenPrince GeorgeWHLNR
HMGHugo HavelidLinkoping HCSHLNR
HMCBryce McConnell-BarkerSault St. MarieOHLNR
HMLDGraham SwardSpokaneWHLNR
HMLWGavin HayesFlintOHLNR
HMRWNicholas MoldenhauerChicagoUSHLNR
HMCBen KingRed DeerWHLNR
HMRWMatthew MaggioWindsorOHLNR
HMLDHudson ThorntonPrince GeorgeWHLNR
HMLDFrederic BrunetRimouskiQMJHLNR
MHCAleksanteri KaskimakiHIFKLiigaNR
HMLDAdam EngstromRogle BKSHLNR
HMRWJoey MuldowneyNicholas SchoolUSHSNR
HMCMatthew PoitrasGuelphOHLNR
HMLWIvan MiroshnichenkoOmskie KryliaVHLHM
HMLDJake FurlongHalifaxQMJHLNR
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