2022 draft Discussion

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Right - I think the thing that I have found shocking is that each of these drafts have quality prospects but sometimes skew to one position over another. We've known for a while that the 2021 Draft was Defense Rich, just like we've known that 2022 was Center rich comparatively. If we're going to pray for lottery tickets and some luck, it's 2022 that we'll want it because this will be our best chance to score a 1st Line Center

That's kind of what I'm seeing. I spent pretty much the whole work day with the Hlinka on my 2nd monitor and this is definitely the draft to snag as many extra firsts as we can.

There are probably 5 guys on that Swedish team that will be top 60 picks and I would bet that 2 of them are centers. Russia also looks really good. When I get a minute I'll take a closer look at that game and try to find the standouts.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Sweden vs. USA today at the Hlinka.

 

[lilidk]

Next 2 drafts we should trade up again, getting quality over quantity

 

[Frk It]

We might be getting the first really strong Swedish center draft in... forever?

 

[NickH8]

We might be getting the first really strong Swedish center draft in... forever?

Perfect. If we're only going to draft swedes and Germans with our first picks then a swedish center would mean we're all set

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

We might be getting the first really strong Swedish center draft in... forever?

1999 was a strong Swedish center draft for us.

I'm liking what I see from Ostlund today. More hustle today (which is saying something because he worked pretty hard yesterday)

I'm also really liking the games from Liam Ohgren and Rasmus Rudslatt.

Ohgren is showing a lot of speed coming up the wing with the puck and also good defensive play. Rudslatt looks like he plays a more traditional up-down North American game but he's making things happen when he's on the ice. Very good forechecker.

And again Calle Odelius is playing like Sweden's top defenseman. Good mobility, smart puck management.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

EDIT:
Here's this year's roster.
https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/13974/usa-u18

Mike Knuble's kid is on the team. Scored a nice goal in the 1st.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

Next 2 drafts we should trade up again, getting quality over quantity

We're going to have to start considering that more and more;

We've drafted 41 kids in the last 4 years - we have 39 players under contract right now (assuming we resign our RFAs); 8 of the last 41 kids have a contract under than 39.

39 contracts under a max of 50 - with 33 draft picks from the last 4 years still unsigned - we are overflowing and we'll need to start consolidating quality here at some point.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

It's a good crop from the NTDP this year. I have a very tough time separating the players this early, but I'd say the following players have first round potential

Forwards: Rutger McGroarty, Jack Devine, Jack Hughes 2.0, Frank Nazar, Logan Cooley, Cutter Gauthier, and Maddox Flemming (edit: also Cruz Lucius)

Defense: Ryan Chesley, Seamus Casey, Lane Hutson

Not to say that all of them will go first round or that other players on the team can't elevate their status, because it's a pretty open field, but that's probably my list from the viewings I've had from last season.

I wouldn't say that anyone here is going to be as compelling of a 1C prospect as Wright or even Lambert, but I do think a few of these guys could reveal 1C upside as the year progresses.

I think Chesley has top pairing upside, but I imagine there will be some blueline fatigue on this board after our last few drafts.

 

[Frk It]

It's a good crop from the NTDP this year. I have a very tough time separating the players this early, but I'd say the following players have first round potential

Forwards: Rutger McGroarty, Jack Devine, Jack Hughes 2.0, Frank Nazar, Logan Cooley, Cutter Gauthier, and Maddox Flemming

Defense: Ryan Chesley, Seamus Casey, Lane Hutson

Not to say that all of them will go first round or that other players on the team can't elevate their status, because it's a pretty open field, but that's probably my list from the viewings I've had from last season.

I wouldn't say that anyone here is going to be as compelling of a 1C prospect as Wright or even Lambert, but I do think a few of these guys could reveal 1C upside as the year progresses.

I think Chesley has top pairing upside, but I imagine there will be some blueline fatigue on this board after our last few drafts.

Cooley, Nazar, Casey would be my early favorites.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Liam Ohgren is fast AF

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Cooley, Nazar, Casey would be my early favorites.

Nazar is a ton of fun to watch.

He's a Mount Clemens native and a U of M commit, so for many here that will make him pretty easy to root for.

He's also a 5'9 winger, so for others here that will make him pretty easy to pass on.

Even though he's smaller he reminds me a bit of Dylan Guenther, in that he has a combination of good hands, shot, and vision to make plays in transition. It's not surprised he produced so well last year.

This is a nice video someone on Youtube put together that shows a little bit of what he brings.



I also like Cooley, although he doesn't quite jump off the page the way Nazar does. Folks targeting centers this year will likely have him on their radar though, and understandably so. Good player.

At this stage I prefer Chesley to Casey, I'm very high on the former and see more of a pro game there. Both good defensemen though.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

It's a good crop from the NTDP this year. I have a very tough time separating the players this early, but I'd say the following players have first round potential

Forwards: Rutger McGroarty, Jack Devine, Jack Hughes 2.0, Frank Nazar, Logan Cooley, Cutter Gauthier, and Maddox Flemming

Defense: Ryan Chesley, Seamus Casey, Lane Hutson

Not to say that all of them will go first round or that other players on the team can't elevate their status, because it's a pretty open field, but that's probably my list from the viewings I've had from last season.

I wouldn't say that anyone here is going to be as compelling of a 1C prospect as Wright or even Lambert, but I do think a few of these guys could reveal 1C upside as the year progresses.

I think Chesley has top pairing upside, but I imagine there will be some blueline fatigue on this board after our last few drafts.

Good grief. The bolded names sound like they belong on a rowing club with how waspy they are.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Liam Ohgren is fast AF

He definitely stood out to me during the game. I think he's been a top 3 player for Sweden against Germany and USA.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

He definitely stood out to me during the game. I think he's been a top 3 player for Sweden against Germany and USA.

I've really liked Ostlund too. He's clearly not strong enough to win all those battles, and maybe he never will be, but he has a really good idea of how to be that prototypical two-way Swedish center and makes a lot of the right reads for it. Not really piling up the points, though, even though I think the high end skill is there.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Good grief. The bolded names sound like they belong on a rowing club with how waspy they are.

Lol, seriously. I've gotten used to it at this point but some of the NTDP names are a trip.

 

[Frk It]

EDIT:
Mike Knuble's kid is on the team. Scored a nice goal in the 1st.

Some other familiar names in this draft class --

Max Namestnikov at eliteprospects.com
Jakub Kopecky at eliteprospects.com

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Lol, seriously. I've gotten used to it at this point but some of the NTDP names are a trip.

I think I also saw a CRUZ Lucius. Whatever happened to just going with Chad, Brad and Thad if you wanted to give your kid a douchey name?

 

[Bench]

Some other familiar names in this draft class --

Max Namestnikov at eliteprospects.com
Jakub Kopecky at eliteprospects.com

I feel like you guys are just posting the year 10 names from a Be A GM simulation.

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

I think I also saw a CRUZ Lucius. Whatever happened to just going with Chad, Brad and Thad if you wanted to give your kid a douchey name?

Ah right, I somehow left Cruz off the list!

But absolutely, Chaz and Cruz Lucius probably take the cake for preppy U.S. hockey names.

 

[Frk It]

I feel like you guys are just posting the year 10 names from a Be A GM simulation.

I mean, how the hell does Kopecky have a son old enough to be in this draft?

Geez, we’re old.

 

[Gniwder]

Good grief. The bolded names sound like they belong on a rowing club with how waspy they are.

Rowing club is still better than Costco phone kiosk, right?

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Rowing club is still better than Costco phone kiosk, right?

No, not really.

 

[Gniwder]

No, not really.

How do you figure? Rowing club guys are tall and fit, I had a roommate that did crew.

Phone kiosk guys all look like gamers.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

How do you figure? Rowing club guys are tall and fit, I had a roommate that did crew.

Phone kiosk guys all look like gamers.

Rowing guys are often tall and fit. They're also often rich dicks. Dudes from normal middle class families in the burbs don't grow up rowing at the yacht club. They grow up playing little league and throwing rocks at bottles and finding dead bodies in the woods.