2022 NHL Entry Draft

[Buffaloed]

 

[Deleted member 331730]

How many Jacks Hughes there is?

Lol

 

[Der Jaeger]

Lambert and Wright are both right handed, which is good. The Sabres need a RHS on the left half wall of the PP

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Lambert and Wright are both right handed, which is good. The Sabres need a RHS on the left half wall of the PP

Giraffe.jpg

 

[Fjordy]

Lambert and Wright are both right handed, which is good. The Sabres need a RHS on the left half wall of the PP

Savoie too right handed

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Reddawg]

If you go into the lottery with 1st and stay there, does it count as a lottery win under the new system? Technically you didn’t advance.

 

[Jim Bob]

If you go into the lottery with 1st and stay there, does it count as a lottery win under the new system? Technically you didn’t advance.

I believe the answer is no.

I also wonder if you are 3rd or below prior to the lottery and you move up to the 2nd spot if that counts as a "win." Or, is it only about being 2nd or lower pre-lottery and moving up to 1OV...

 

[Jim Bob]

World Junior showcase: Jake Sanderson looks NHL ready, Aatu Raty gets buzz; plus USA's projected roster

Logan Cooley, C, 2022 draft-eligible (United States)

Cooley is the top draft-eligible prospect in the USA and, as the tournament went along, he went from a guy who might have a chance to make the World Junior team to a player with a strong chance to play a role for them depending on how his first half goes. He has elite skill and playmaking ability, but it was the great pace and two-way ability he showed that makes me think he could make the final team. He showed a great compete level to go with his offense.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

World Junior showcase: Jake Sanderson looks NHL ready, Aatu Raty gets buzz; plus USA's projected roster

Cooley and McGroaty are the top US forwards. It'll be interesting if they mive McGroaty back to center as the U17 put him on the wing as they had too many centers

 

[Zman5778]

Lambert and Wright are both right handed, which is good. The Sabres need a RHS on the left half wall of the PP

You mean like the one we're about to trade away????? *grumble* No, I'm not salty at all.

 

[The Blunder Years]

Best center available

 

[Lloydchristmas138]

I’m not expecting Florida to be bottom 10 at all.. Losing in the first round to Tampa again seems like a likely outcome though

 

[Jim Bob]

Wheeler: Team Canada summer showcase notebook, U18 standouts and World Junior roster projection

C Shane Wright (2022): I don’t think the scouts in attendance saw the best of Wright. He was much better defensively than offensively, which is a testament to both his approach (he sacrifices offence to support low) and his physical maturity. He’s got such a low centre of gravity and base in his stride, with this bowed gait that allows him to push through contact. He’s really strong through his drives up the ice or on the backcheck, too.

Nathan Gaucher (2022): Gaucher didn’t shy away from the physical side but he looked like he was a year or two behind in most other ways, which is fine!

C/LW David Goyette (2022): Goyette’s effortless, flowing stride really captivated me. He’s a beautiful skater who catches and handles pucks at full speed, tries (and executes) things offensively with his hands and stays on the puck to make things happen inside the offensive zone. He looked like a first-rounder.

C/RW Matthew Poitras (2022): Every game I’d find myself drawn to Poitras and when it was over he’d have a couple points. He’s a crafty playmaker who can play with the puck on his stick or play the give-and-go in and out of space. I liked his game defensively too, despite his smallish frame. He did a good job supporting play and then pushing tempo back in the other direction.

LW Jordan Gustafson (2022): Gustafson, who played in the WHL last year and posted 11 points in 23 games with Seattle, was excellent aside from one bad penalty. He’s good below the goal line in puck protection, he’s a heady passer and he’s got really soft hands.

RW Sam Alfano (2022): I didn’t know much about Alfano coming in but he caught my eye for different reasons than the rest. He’s big (6-foot-3, 181 pounds) and his skating can look sluggish in short races but he can really get going once he gets moving when he’s driving up ice and wide. He goes to traffic and there were shifts where he was everywhere and his presence was really felt. I’m intrigued!

C Matthew Savoie (2022): Savoie was far and away the most gifted player in camp with the puck on his stick not named Bedard. His hands really flashed side-to-side. He’s got an NHL shot (which he likes to go five-hole with or try to rip high but also put under the bar from a bad angle …). He made some excellent plays in traffic to get into scoring spots for himself and used coverage as a tool to open up his teammates for small-area passes. He split the D a few times and there’s deception in all areas of his game. He also played with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. The kind of player who gets me excited to show up to the rink to watch. He was named the player of the game in the finale.

C Hunter Haight (2022): Haight’s vision and playmaking ability through layers to the weak side really flashed multiple times, earning him a spot on this list. He also scored four goals, including a hat trick in the finale (he looked great in the finale before the goals came too). He’s a very clever little player.

C/W Markus Vidicek (2022): Vidicek’s a slick playmaker with a good acceleration gear who plays a gifted offensive game built upon a filthy set of hands that were evident whenever he was under pressure.

LW Brandon Lisowsky (2022): Lisowsky’s a small but stocky individual creator with quick hands, a physical disposition, a strong skating stride and legitimate power play tools. The puck seemed to follow him throughout camp.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Watching the Slovaks in the Hlinka and man do they have some top tier talent. Dvorsky has put on a clinic and is trying to push into the '23 top tier with Bedard and Michkov, his size skill and 2-way play makes you think Kopitar / Barkov potential

 

[Jim Bob]

NHL Draft 2022 top prospects: Standouts from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Ivan Miroshnichenko, LW, Russia, 2022 eligible

I rated Miroshnichenko as my No. 2 prospect in my way too early 2022 draft ranking. I thought he was one of the best forwards at the Hlinka, but wasn’t amazing. Today I would say the answer to the question “Who is next after Shane Wright” is a shoulder shrug or, more pointedly, there is a big group of guys who have to prove themselves in the coming season. Miroshnichenko has a lot of NHL attributes. He’s very skilled, smart and physical, has a bullet shot, and is a hard competitor. He’s a good skater, but his game didn’t have as much pace as I thought when I watched as an underage.

Juraj Slafkovsky, RW, Slovakia, 2022 eligible

Slafkovsky was a standout in the tournament and a big reason for Slovakia’s success, albeit not the only reason. He’s easy to spot on the ice as a 6-foot-4 forward who skates well for a big man, has great puck skills, can make plays, possesses a hard shot and doesn’t shy from physical play. In the aforementioned 2022 grouping after Wright, Slafkovsky is for sure a candidate, with some scouts suggesting he could be in the mix to be the second or third pick next summer.

Simon Nemec, RHD, Slovakia, 2022 eligible

Nemec was the clear best defenseman in the tournament. He’s not the biggest defender, but he’s got everything else. He’s a strong, albeit not explosive skater who competes hard and can make a lot of stops. He has high-end hockey sense and can make a ton of plays with the puck at both ends of the ice. His shot was a threat, too. His lack of elite skating might keep him from getting in the mix as a top-five pick, but I think he fits comfortably in the 6-12 range of the draft, especially given how well he’s already played versus men.

Joakim Kemell, LW, Finland, 2022 eligible

Kemell was the clear best player on Finland’s team and stood out consistently when he was on the ice. He’s got every NHL asset you want except size. He’s a good skater, and he’s a very skilled and creative player with the puck. He showed strong passing ability and a very hard shot that could score from range. Kemell also didn’t look purely like a skill type, as he worked hard off the puck and displayed some physicality. He plays in JYP, the same Liiga team as consensus top Finnish prospect Brad Lambert. Lambert is still the top guy in that country, but given how good Kemell looked at the Hlinka and the U18 worlds, he’s closing that gap and could work his way into the top tier of the 2022 draft with a good start to his club season.

Elias Salomonsson, RHD, Sweden, 2022 eligible

I was very high on Salomonsson last season, watching him at Sweden’s J20 level. His tournament did not however hit the bar I expected of him. You saw flashes of the talent, as a 6-foot-2, mobile defenseman with skill, but he didn’t make a ton of plays, making some poor decisions with the puck and overall lacking an impact in the game, leaving Sweden without a true difference-maker on the team.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

The Hlinka was missing a lot of top talent with no Canada, USA sending the B squad and quite a few were aged out.

This season will be interesting to see how the OHL players rebound and how many push to the top 10 of a very center / RD heavy top tier draft which fits Buffalo needs to a T

 

[Jim Bob]

The Hlinka was missing a lot of top talent with no Canada, USA sending the B squad and quite a few were aged out.

This season will be interesting to see how the OHL players rebound and how many push to the top 10 of a very center / RD heavy top tier draft which fits Buffalo needs to a T

The other wild card for the 2022 Draft will be all the players that were passed over in the 2021 Draft because they didn't get to play at all during the 2020-21 season.

There could be a number of "out of nowhere" OHL prospects that were grinding away over the past year with few people watching ala Bloom that pop in 2021-22.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

The other wild card for the 2022 Draft will be all the players that were passed over in the 2021 Draft because they didn't get to play at all during the 2020-21 season.

There could be a number of "out of nowhere" OHL prospects that were grinding away over the past year with few people watching ala Bloom that pop in 2021-22.

Definitely and it will make for an interesting season so a good year to have extra kicks at the can

 

[Jim Bob]

Definitely and it will make for an interesting season so a good year to have extra kicks at the can

I wonder how many guys like that Arizona takes with 5 2nd rounders and 11 picks overall.

I wonder how many 2022 picks the Sabres do end up with. Today, they are maybe +1 1st and that's it.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I wonder how many guys like that Arizona takes with 5 2nd rounders and 11 picks overall.

I wonder how many 2022 picks the Sabres do end up with. Today, they are maybe +1 1st and that's it.

Arizona is looking to capitalize on the reset, of course it doesn't hurt that this is purportedly one the stronger and deeper drafts in the past decade

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I wonder how many guys like that Arizona takes with 5 2nd rounders and 11 picks overall.

I wonder how many 2022 picks the Sabres do end up with. Today, they are maybe +1 1st and that's it.

The Sabres are +1 1st and -1 3rd. So they have 7 picks total still. I expect a 3-5 for Eakin, another pick when (if?) they trade Jack, maybe a pick if they trade Girgensons, a 2nd for Miller, and who knows whatever else for a one year guy that signs here.

EDIT: I’ll say already I’m on board with Slafkovsky if the Sabres don’t get one of the big 3. Which means they’re not drafting him.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

The Sabres are +1 1st and -1 3rd. So they have 7 picks total still. I expect a 3-5 for Eakin, another pick when (if?) they trade Jack, maybe a pick if they trade Girgensons, a 2nd for Miller, and who knows whatever else for a one year guy that signs here.

EDIT: I’ll say already I’m on board with Slafkovsky if the Sabres don’t get one of the big 3. Which means they’re not drafting him.

Besides Slafkovsky you got McGroaty, Cooley (who might be top 5), and Geekie looking like potential 1C prospects

 

[Jim Bob]

The Sabres are +1 1st and -1 3rd. So they have 7 picks total still. I expect a 3-5 for Eakin, another pick when (if?) they trade Jack, maybe a pick if they trade Girgensons, a 2nd for Miller, and who knows whatever else for a one year guy that signs here.

EDIT: I’ll say already I’m on board with Slafkovsky if the Sabres don’t get one of the big 3. Which means they’re not drafting him.

Not according to CapFriendly.

Buffalo Sabres Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

They traded away their '22 5th in the Miller trade. But, they have NJ's '22 5th from the Butcher trade.

Edit: I think you are referring to Buffalo trading their '21 3rd for Vesey.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Not according to CapFriendly.

Buffalo Sabres Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

They traded away their '22 5th in the Miller trade. But, they have NJ's '22 5th from the Butcher trade.

Edit: I think you are referring to Buffalo trading their '21 3rd for Vesey.

Fair enough. It may not have been updated when I last saw. But regardless, I think those moves I listed are what will happen.

Even if we get Mika temporarily, I’d eat some of his contract to increase his return.