StevenToddIves
Registered User
Ives’ 2022 Draft Rankings, Spring Version 2.0 — TOP 100
Ok, I need to start by saying I have left Ivan Miroshnichenko off the rankings, because I’m more concerned with his making a full and complete recovery from Hodgkin’s Disease than I am with whether or not he’s better than Player A or Player B. Without saying much more, I still feel Miro is worth a pick in the late 1st round and he’s a steal in the 2nd.
Here are the rules:
I) No goalies. Goalies scare me.
II) I’ve kept the explanations short, because I’m expanding to a top 100 and that’s a whole lot of writing. If anyone wants a player’s more in-depth scouting report, just ask me and I’m glad to provide it.
III) Any advice about how to format this in the future is greatly appreciated. I suck at that sort of stuff.
IV) All forwards and defensemen are listed by their shooting hands, without regard to their deployment as draft-eligibles. Just makes my life easier, is all.
V) This is not a final ranking, I will do that just prior to the draft.
VI) As we know, I work for you guys for free. But this is a ton of work, and as such you are all greatly encouraged to buy me a beer if you should ever run into me in the actual world. I really like beer.
Now, the rankings:
Ok, I need to start by saying I have left Ivan Miroshnichenko off the rankings, because I’m more concerned with his making a full and complete recovery from Hodgkin’s Disease than I am with whether or not he’s better than Player A or Player B. Without saying much more, I still feel Miro is worth a pick in the late 1st round and he’s a steal in the 2nd.
Here are the rules:
I) No goalies. Goalies scare me.
II) I’ve kept the explanations short, because I’m expanding to a top 100 and that’s a whole lot of writing. If anyone wants a player’s more in-depth scouting report, just ask me and I’m glad to provide it.
III) Any advice about how to format this in the future is greatly appreciated. I suck at that sort of stuff.
IV) All forwards and defensemen are listed by their shooting hands, without regard to their deployment as draft-eligibles. Just makes my life easier, is all.
V) This is not a final ranking, I will do that just prior to the draft.
VI) As we know, I work for you guys for free. But this is a ton of work, and as such you are all greatly encouraged to buy me a beer if you should ever run into me in the actual world. I really like beer.
Now, the rankings:
- C Shane Wright, Kingston OHL two-way center is devastating on both sides of the puck and a future franchise 1C.
- LW Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS Finland there may not have been such an elite combo of size/playmaking/hands/IQ all century; a rare player with limitless upside
- RD David Jiricek, HC Plzen Czechia huge and physical D can also skate, puck-handle and features a howitzer of a shot; potentially dominant 1D
- RD Simon Nemec, HC Nitra Slovakia best puck-moving D and transition D in draft is also excellent defensively; potential all-situations, all-star 1D
- RW Frank Nazar, US-NTDP energy, edges, creativity and desire combine in a scintillating package of what may be the most exciting player to watch in the entire 2022 class; future high-scoring, two-way, first-line F
- C Logan Cooley, US-NTDP best skater in the draft after only Lambert; Cooley can fly and features the top combination of speed/playmaking/IQ for 2022
- LW Cutter Gauthier, US-NTDP if there’s a lost Tkachuk in the 2022 class, this is it; not only a wrecking ball power F, but this 6’3-200 beast can fly and led a high-octane US-NTDP with 50 goals in 68 games
- RW Alexander Perevalov, Loko Yaroslavl MHL painfully underrated like every year’s top MHL skater, Perevalov offers elite tools in shooting, passing and puck-handling combined with off-the-charts compete and IQ
- RW Joakim Kemell, JYP Finland best pure sniper in the draft adds a great compete level and excellent all-around game to his elite goal-scoring acumen.
- C Matt Savoie, Winnipeg WHL could be the best pure offensive generator in the entire class, but 5’9 and lacking elite speed he might dip a bit on draft day. Still, elite playmaking, puck skills and great shot — edge-of-your-seat abilities.
- LW Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk KHL hard not to love this player — elite intangibles and checks across the board in every skill, but may lack elite scoring ability putting him just outside the top 10
- RD Ryan Chesley, US-NTDP best shut-down defender in the draft plays physical brand of smothering D belying his 6’0-185 frame and features very good puck skills blend with a cannon-blast of a shot
- C Marco Kasper, Rogle Sweden the best player out of Sweden this year is actually Austrian; Kasper combines elite speed with high-end two-way play and physicality. He might lack elite scoring, but he’s the penultimate 2C.
- C Rutger McGroarty, US-NTDP physical, two-way center is loaded with high-end offensive tools; one of the great-at-everything-but-average-skating types, but an ideal NHL 2C
- RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Djurgardens Sweden devastating shooter is best pure scorer in draft after only Kemell and Gauthier; an absolute terror from the circles on the PP
- RW/C Brad Lambert, Pelicans Finland best combination of speed/puck skills in the entire 2022 class, but questions about his consistency and compete level have dogged him all year. One of the biggest wild-cards for the draft, without a doubt.
- RW Filip Mesar, HK Poprad Slovakia near-elite skater with near-elite offensive skills across the board has top-line, high-scoring upside.
- C Conor Geekie, Winnipeg WHL 6’4 and gifted with elite skills in shooting, playmaking and puckhandling; consistency of effort and to 200-foot play are the only aspects holding him back from a top 10 rating
- C Nathan Gaucher, Quebec QMJHL old-school 6’3 power center plays with high physicality and compete, great two-ways and in face-off dot but lack of high-end puck skills likely see him as an NHL 2C
- LW Jiri Kulich, HC Karlovy Czechia 6’0 freight train plays high-paced game and much bigger than his size; this Czech checks every tool-box and plays with enormous energy and compete and is versatile enough to play scoring or checking role
- RW/C Gleb Trikozov, Omskie MHL Houdini on skates possesses almost preternatural escapability and adds elite hockey IQ and playmaking
- LD Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw OHL offensive machine is nearly PPG in OHL and features elite skating and puck skills to his 6’1-190 frame
- C Owen Beck, Mississauga OHL future NHL captain who plays a ferocious two-way game with an elite hockey IQ; maybe a middle-6 C at the NHL level, but he could be as good as it gets in this regard.
- LD Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw WHL fast, aggressive, confident, high-motor, skilled and PPG in the WHL; Mateychuk offers everything you’d want except size (5’11-190) and a big shot
- LW Liam Ohgren, Djurgardens Sweden no elite top line skills? No problem. Ohgren is simply very good at virtually everything, utilizing these skills with a high-compete, high-IQ game which plays them all up.
- RD Tristen Luneau, Gatineau QMJHL jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none is an all-situations, two-way player who will see 20+ minutes per game for whichever NHL team is lucky enough to draft him
- C/LW Jack Hughes, Northeastern NCAA high-intangibles, two-way C is also a high-end playmaker and a wonderful penalty killer; potential for a stud 2C at the NHL level
- LD Arseni Koromyslov, SKA-1946 MHL most underrated D in the draft is big (6’3-180), fast and produces decent offense while playing perhaps the best shut-down D in the entire MHL
- RW Jimmy Snuggerud, US-NTDP big, fast winger is one of the top shut-down defensive forwards for the US-NTDP and plays physical — but he’s also produced at nearly a PPG level
- RD Sam Rinzel, Chaska-MINN USHS 6’4 RD who can absolutely fly and possessed extremely intriguing offensive tools; a raw project but one who could pay off with a top-pairing talent down the road
- LW Reid Schaefer, Seattle WHL if there’s a Tom Wilson in the 2022 draft class, this is it — 6’3-215 and the most intimidating physical force in the WHL also scored 32 goals in just 64 games for the Thunderbirds
- LD Kevin Korchinski, Seattle WHL 6’2 defender with elite skating blew up the WHL with 60 assists in just 65 games; raw defensively but just absurd upside for a team with the patience to develop young D
- LW Isaac Howard, US-NTDP high-motor sniper among the top scorers for the US-NTDP; superb finisher with a great two-way game
- LD Calle Odelius, Djurgardens J20, Sweden Jr. I really wanted this kid in my 1st round, he’s terrific; good at every aspect of the game and consistently producing offense everywhere he’s been
- LW Adam Sykora, HK Nitra Slovakia sleeper alert! Fast, high-octane forechecking beast not only makes defenders’ lives miserable but also features underrated scoring skills — he’s the best teenaged F in a Slovakian league which also includes the more naturally-gifted Mesar
- RW Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw WHL edge-of-your-seat dynamic offensive skills make him a potential draft-day steal, but needs work in rounding out other areas of his game
- LW Viktor Neuchev, Yekaterinburg MHL high-IQ 6’2 sniper has torn apart the MHL for 40 goals in 61 games and people still somehow don’t know who he is; a volume/quality shooter who will produce goals at any level
- RD Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville QMJHL 6’7 physical beast who also skates well and has a soft set of hands; intriguing upside somewhere in between Chara and Oleksiak but very raw and a long way to go in development
- C Logan Morrison, Hamilton OHL best over-ager in the 2022 class — what does this kid have to do to get noticed? He’s a fast, physical, two-way, high IQ/high compete monster who has shredded the OHL for 93 points in 57 games. A steal in the 2nd round, he’ll probably fall to the 4th.
- LW Julian Lutz, EHC Munchen Germany the top German export for the 2022 class, Lutz is 6’2, fast and physical with the requisite skill to complement an NHL top 6
- LD Owen Pickering, Swift Current WHL a raw project, but at 6’4 with great skates and intriguing skills he’s extremely projectable for an NHL middle pairing
- RW Devin Kaplan, US-NTDP the top New Jersey product for the 2022 draft is 6’3-200 and a forechecking demon; may lack top-6 offensive skill but a projectable beast for a 3rd line who may have a bit more offense to offer after being utilized in a primarily defensive role for the US-NTDP
- RW Matthew Seminoff, Kamloops WHL high-motor RW who is relentless on the puck and offers the requisite scoring skill to aspire to an NHL 2nd line role
- RD Noah Warren, Gatineau QMJHL 6’5, physical shut-down defender who skates very well and is decent with the puck, while offering some offensive upside due to a bomb of a shot; nothing not to love here
- LW Rieger Lorenz, Okotoks AJHL speedy 6’2 skill-winger has obliterated the AJHL with 85 points in 60 games and heads to NCAA champion Denver in the autumn
- LW Jani Nyman, Koovee Mestis 6’3-210 power forward crashes creases with extreme prejudice; very good skills but lacks skating to justify a 1st round pick
- LD Lian Bichsel, Leksands Sweden top Swiss player for the 2022 class is 6’5-215 and extremely agile and mobile on his skates; intriguing puck skills but very raw — he might be a half decade away, but could be an absolute monster once he hits the highest levels
- LW Kirill Dolzhenkov, Krasnaya MHL 6’6-235 is an absolute mountain of a man, belying some great puck skills and the ability to reach formidable top speeds; rocket-launcher for a shot; much refinement necessary here but potential for a rare, immovable middle-6 power forward
- C Noah Ostlund, Djurgardens J20 Sweden Jr. one of the best passing/skating combos in the 2022 class in a slight 5’11-160 package; if he builds his core strength, he’s the Aho-iest prospect for this year’s draft
- LW Joel Jonsson, Mora J20, Sweden Jr. I absolutely love this little dynamo and probably have him ranked highly as anyone — sure he’s just 5’9-150 and lacks elite skates, but his intangibles are off the board and he possesses elite playmaking skill
- LW Mikey Milne, Winnipeg WHL top over-aged winger in the 2022 draft combines elite defense/compete with some offensive pop — 78 points in 66 games despite not playing on a line with Savoie
- C David Goyette, Sudbury OHL fast, skilled center has top 6 NHL upside but needs work on the 200-foot game and reaching the interior
- C Luca Del Bel Belluz, Mississauga OHL not the most athletic specimen, but the 6’1-180 center is great at hockey and has produced at every level — this year he accumulated 74 points in 60 OHL contests
- C/LW Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, HIFK U20 Finland Jr. this 6’0-185 pivot combines elite skating with projectable offensive skills
- RW/C Jack Devine, University of Denver NCAA heart and soul winger for your bottom 6; could possess enough offensive pop to up his projection to a middle 6
- C Bryce McConnell-Barker, Soo OHL 6’1-190 center can skate and shoot; very good two-ways; may lack high-end playmaking but athleticism and ability project him as a very good middle-six pivot
- RD Seamus Casey, US-NTDP lacks high end speed and just 5’10-160, but Casey is just as adept without the puck as with it; may not produce same numbers in pros as amateurs, but there’s some Andy Greene in his game
- C/LW Matyas Sapovaliv, Saginaw OHL 6’4-190 behemoth has great skills but lacks speed; face-off beast and very good defensively; projects nicely to an NHL 3rd line power/shut-down role
- LD Tomas Hamara, Tappara Finland dynamic skater with high-end playmaking skills; lacks size and needs some refinement, but there’s a great deal of upside in this young Czech rearguard
- LD Jake Livanavage, Chicago USHL I can’t stop talking about this unicorn, he’s 5’10-160 but in the conversation for the best open-ice hitter in the entire draft; the Arizona native is also a playmaking wizard with 40 assists in 57 games
- RW Vinzenz Rohrer, Ottawa OHL high-intangibles Austrian has sneaky skills which could give him 2nd line upside and he’s one of the youngest players available for the 2022 draft
- LD Michael Buchinger, Guelph OHL speedy and skilled offense-first defenseman shows promise in his own zone and offers decent size at 6’0-185
- LW/C Jordan Gustafson, Seattle WHL versatile, playmaking forward with great skates averaging a PPG in the WHL; off-the-charts intangibles
- LD Alexander Pelevin, Novgorod MHL fast, physical 2-way D would be on everyone’s radar if he were taller than 5’11 and playing in North America or Scandinavia
- C/LW Paul Ludwinski, Kingston OHL high-compete, two-way forward also possesses nice skill and has played himself out of Shane Wright’s enormous shadow
- LD Isaiah George, London OHL almost absurdly athletic defender plays a physical, two-way brand of hockey and possesses enormous upside for a patient team which excels in development
- LD Jackson Edward, London OHL big-time sleeper potential for a 6’2 shut-down guy with the skates and skills to produce more offense if he didn’t play such a defense-first style
- LW Alex Bump, Prior Lake MINN USHS absurdly gifted athlete is several years away, but his speed/shooting combo could unveil themselves as elite traits in the eventual future
- LW/C Adam Ingram, Youngstown USHL rangy, 6’3 forward is a deadly sniper and piles up points, but needs a great deal of refinement in his overall game over the next few years at St. Cloud State University
- LW Dylan James, Sioux City USHL raw sleeper with great speed, a 6’0-185 frame and oozing skill; could see a huge jump in development next year at North Dakota
- RW/C Daniil Bourosh, Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL top Belarus export for 2022 is a big, physical power forward with a thunderous shot and style of crease-crashing
- LD Simon Forsmark, Orebro Sweden 6’2 silky-smooth defender has a lot of offensive skill but average skating might limit him to bottom 4
- RW Gavin Hayes, Flint OHL firecracker forechecker has size (6’1-180) and quickness and wins over fans immediately with his high-compete, physical play and relentless puck pursuit; future bottom 6 beast
- C Matthew Poitras, Guelph OHL slightly undersized (5’11-170) pivot can unlock 2nd line offensive potential if he can hone his 200-foot game
- C Brennan Ali, Lincoln USHL fast and physical defense-first center will be an anchor for your bottom 6
- C Pano Fimis, Niagara OHL high IQ/high compete center gets the most out of his abilities, even if his lack of size and high-end skating limit him to middle 6 aspirations; his playmaking and vision are outstanding
- RW Maddox Fleming, Sioux Falls USHL raw, power forward likes to hit and crash creases, looks like a great 3rd liner but possesses intriguing offensive skill due to near-elite skating and some nice playmaking
- C Topi Ronni, Tappara Finland 6’1-180 center skates extremely well and checks every box without particularly excelling in any singular area
- RW/C Cameron Lund, Green Bay USHL 6’2-185 with outstanding skating, Lund is a very intriguing but raw prospect whose stock could go way up if he gains polish in the coming 4 years at Northeastern University
- RW Cruz Lucius, US-NTDP Chaz’s younger brother has a great shot and playmaking ability, but may lack skating to play up those abilities at higher levels
- C/RW Hunter Haight, Barrie OHL high IQ scorer knows how to find the soft spots and passing lanes, but may lack athleticism for a top 6 NHL role
- LD Lane Hutson, US-NTDP I can write about this kid all day — may be the most talented offensive defenseman in the entire draft, but at 5’6-140 you wonder why he’s not playing forward. Gives great 2-way effort but can’t win puck battles for obvious reasons. He’s a dynamic skater and puck handler who should be at F 5x5 even if he’s a point man in PP situations.
- LW Parker Bell, Tri-City WHL this 6’4-200 oak tree skates extremely well and possesses great upside if he can refine the ancillary elements of his game
- LW Alexander Suzdalev, HV71 J20, Sweden Junior 6’1 with elite hands and tremendous tools across the board, but his defense is a big problem and his compete level can alarmingly waver
- LD Mats Lindgren, Kamloops WHL outstanding offensive acumen in every respect, but Lindgren’s skates are just pretty good and the defensive game needs much refinement
- C Filip Bystedt, Linkoping J20 Sweden Jr. 6’4 center has scored at every level and offers great upside as a 3rd line NHL pivot
- RW Evan Konyen, Sudbury OHL speedy scorer plays with great pace and nice snipe, very underrated prospect for the mid-rounds
- C/RW Ryan Greene, Green Bay USHL speedy pivot has excellent speed and projectable size at 6’2-175; PPG in USHL but complete game needs work — if this improves at Boston University, there is serious sleeper potential here
- LD Jorian Donovan, Hamilton OHL 6’2-180 D plays offensive style with very good skates but has yet to produce statistically; could be because he’s one of the younger 2022 draft-eligibles
- LW/C Fraser Minten, Kamloops WHL shut-down defensive F is perhaps the Jay Pandolfo-iest player for the 2022 draft; lacks speed but makes up for it with an insanely high hockey IQ — future NHL bottom 6 stud
- LW Beau Jelsma, Barrie OHL undersized, maximum-effort forechecking demon can also snipe the puck — 27 goals in the OHL
- LW/C Servac Petrovsky, Owen Sound OHL rounding out a banner Slovakian 2022 draft class, this sleeper is one of the youngest players for the 2022 draft and despite needing polish, pounded home 51 points in 63 OHL matches
- C Liam Arnsby, North Bay OHL another unicorn — this 5’11-185 pivot is one of the most physical and adept defensive forwards in the 2022 class; not a big scorer but a rock for your bottom 6
- LW/C Ilya Kvochko, Magnitogorsk MHL this is a player with 1st-round caliber offensive skills, but a 5’9-155 frame and lack of high-end skating cloud his projection
- LW Michael La Starza, Sioux Falls USHL an absolutely dynamic skater, La Starza is one of the fastest players in the draft; his overall game needs work but he flashes intriguing offensive skill
- RD Ty Nelson, North Bay OHL scores highlight reel goals and lays highlight reel hits with regularity, but you wonder where the meat is under all the potatoes when you see him regularly hurt his team with defensive play; the upside is there, the team-ethic needs work
- C Cole Spicer, US-NTDP solid defensive center and team guy, lacks high-end skills but offers a very high floor
- RD Elias Salomonsson, Skelleftea J20 Sweden Jr. the guy who can make anyone who passed on him look dumb or the team which drafted him look dumb; possesses every tool and athletic gift in the book, but inconsistent offensively and often disastrous in his own zone
- C/LW Danny Zhilkin, Guelph OHL 6’2-185 pivot with great skates and shot, needs more commitment to defensive play and consistency of effort to allow his extraordinary abilities to truly shine through
- LD Rodwin Dionicio, Niagara OHL the most interesting origin story in the draft, Dionicio has dual citizenship in Switzerland and New Jersey. He’s also an impossibly strong and physical 6’2-210 with very good puck skills who only lacks high-end skating. A potential big-time sleeper for 2022.
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