2022 NHL Entry Draft

[Warhippy]

My wish list:

 

1st round:  #13 Cutter Gauthier https://thehockeywriters.com/cutter-gauthier-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

2nd round:  (Via trade picks 5, 6 and 7 to Arizona or Montreal) Maverick Lamoureux https://thehockeywriters.com/maveric-lamoureux-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

3rd round:  Noah Warren:  https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/574586/noah-warren

4th round:  Liam Arnsby https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/529236/liam-arnsby

[Bure_Pavel]

On 4/11/2022 at 11:35 AM, HighOnHockey said:

Lol, easy pickin's. I mean I have Yurov ahead in my rankings, but try to stick to pure hockey and upside for those. Given the Russia situation, brass tacks I would take Lekkerimaki. Absolutely no way he's available by 14 or 15 though, in my opinion.

Yeah I dont see him available either past 10, but Ive seen crazier things happen on draft day, here's hoping. 

[JM_]

5 hours ago, Warhippy said:

My wish list:

 

1st round:  #13 Cutter Gauthier https://thehockeywriters.com/cutter-gauthier-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

2nd round:  (Via trade picks 5, 6 and 7 to Arizona or Montreal) Maverick Lamoureux https://thehockeywriters.com/maveric-lamoureux-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

3rd round:  Noah Warren:  https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/574586/noah-warren

4th round:  Liam Arnsby https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/529236/liam-arnsby

Cutter, sounds like a name from a 60's prison movie. 

 

I like where you're going with these picks, no more smurfs. 

[Warhippy]

7 hours ago, JM_ said:

Cutter, sounds like a name from a 60's prison movie. 

 

I like where you're going with these picks, no more smurfs. 

Big, mobile RHD

 

I like Warren.  A lot

[JM_]

8 hours ago, Warhippy said:

Big, mobile RHD

 

I like Warren.  A lot

it would be a nice time to have a 2nd round pick to find guys like this. I can't even remember what this years 2nd was used for. 

[73 Percent]

1 minute ago, JM_ said:

it would be a nice time to have a 2nd round pick to find guys like this. I can't even remember what this years 2nd was used for. 

Arizona trade?

[HKSR]

1 hour ago, JM_ said:

it would be a nice time to have a 2nd round pick to find guys like this. I can't even remember what this years 2nd was used for. 

I think we should try and get one back in a Boeser trade.  A solid 3rd line player + 2nd round pick.

[Warhippy]

2 hours ago, JM_ said:

it would be a nice time to have a 2nd round pick to find guys like this. I can't even remember what this years 2nd was used for. 

It went to Arizona and I think then to Minni after.  Don't quote me on that though.  Definitely went to Arizona first.

 

56 minutes ago, HKSR said:

I think we should try and get one back in a Boeser trade.  A solid 3rd line player + 2nd round pick.

I mean that would be nice, provided we don't trade Boeser his QO and our first to move up.

[73 Percent]

3 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

It went to Arizona and I think then to Minni after.  Don't quote me on that though.  Definitely went to Arizona first.

 

I mean that would be nice, provided we don't trade Boeser his QO and our first to move up.

I'd be okay with that.

[Warhippy]

52 minutes ago, 73 Percent said:

I'd be okay with that.

Well Jiricek or Nemec would be the only reason I'd want to try to move up.

 

I am kinda sold on the idea of moving down.  I honestly believe this is the kind of year where some of the best players come out of the 2nd rounds or later

 

[Nucker 67]

1 hour ago, Warhippy said:

Well Jiricek or Nemec would be the only reason I'd want to try to move up.

 

I am kinda sold on the idea of moving down.  I honestly believe this is the kind of year where some of the best players come out of the 2nd rounds or later

 

I agree, a stud RDman for the Top pairing in a few years.  Trading down could be the smart play, especially if they can nab Miroschnichenko late.

[HighOnHockey]

With U18s coming up in a few days, I figured I'd do a bit of a preview for some top teams. Starting with perennial favorites at this tournament, USA.

 

We know Canada never (except last season) sends their best possible team to this tournament while CHL playoffs are going on. USA hockey builds their whole program towards this tournament. This is the best NTDP team since 2019, which may have been their best ever. This edition could have as many as 8 first rounders (Cooley, Nazar, Gauthier, Howard, McGroarty, Casey, Snuggerud, Chesley). Probably not as many top 5, top 10, and top 15 picks as the 2019 team (2, 3, and 7), but this team also has two likely top 10s for 2023 in Charlie Stramel and Will Smith.

 

Expected forward lines:

 

Cutter Gauthier - Logan Cooley - Jimmy Snuggerud

Isaac Howard - Will Smith - Frank Nazar

Charlie Stramel - Rutger McGroarty - Devin Kaplan

 

This Team USA juggles lines frequently, but these were the lines used in the last game I saw against NCAA-level competition. It reminds me of that Russian '03s team, where they had a big, heavy, low-cycle top line in Miro-Svechkov-Yurov, and then the high-skilled 2nd with Petrov and Chibrikov and later Michkov. They could really double down on this mentality if they put Cooley back with Nazar and Howard, and throw either of McGroarty or Stramel up with the big wingers, but I think they will prefer to spread the wealth around, and Smith has more than earned a spot on a scoring line since being called up from the U17 team. I believe this spreading things out is the reason McGroarty's +/- is so off-the-charts this season - he's a superstar among this draft class, and yet he is consistently getting matchups against opponents' bottom six.

 

On defense, Seamus Casey is the top guy, but as he and Chesley are both right shots, they play on separate pairs. Casey and Hutson are both small, offensive guys, so Hutson and Chesley mostly always play together as the de facto top pair, and Casey can carry a pair by himself so he plays with whoever.

 

Forwards:  A+

Defense:  B+

Goaltending:  B

[HighOnHockey]

Sweden:

 

I'm calling USA the favorites this year, but Sweden doesn't look too far off. Don't have actual recent viewings of this team (duh) so I'm more guessing on the lines, using the lines from Hlinkas as a template.

 

Noah Ostlund - Leo Carlsson - Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Liam Ohgren - Filip Bystedt - Fabian Wagner

Alexander Suzdalev - Tim Almgren - Otto Stenberg

 

Sweden doesn't quite have the depth USA does to be able to spread out the offense and have gamebreakers on every line, lest they leave a hole in one of the top two lines. Still a very impressive top nine. We already know all about Lekkerimaki and Ohgren, but I expect this to be a coming-out party for Leo Carlsson, who will establish himself as the top name for the 2023 draft outside of Bedard and Michkov. Sweden's top three forwards - Carlsson, Lekkerimaki, Ohgren - can match up with the top players on USA or any team, but after that there's a bit of a dropoff, and they'll have trouble matching lines against USA and possibly Canada as well.

 

On defense, 16 year old Theo Lindstein will be pushing to join Salomonsson, Odelius and Matthias Havelid in the top four. Odelius is likely to be the number one guy overall, and will get the tough matchups; he's a two-way machine and transition wizard. Havelid is the small offensive and powerplay specialist. Salomonsson has decent size and high-end offensive tools, but has yet to really find his way as an elite defender in this age group; he'll need to play a big role and seriously cut back on the dumb mistakes for this team to have a chance against the Red, White and Blue.

 

Forwards:  A-

Defense:  B+

Goaltending:  B-

[Phat Fingers]

On 4/13/2022 at 2:07 PM, Warhippy said:

It went to Arizona and I think then to Minni after.  Don't quote me on that though.  Definitely went to Arizona first.

 

I mean that would be nice, provided we don't trade Boeser his QO and our first to move up.

There is a ton of options with Brock, who is playing fantastic in this stretch.  
 

If this is not going to happen this year, the odds are stacked… 

 

then the room is going to miss Brock and it’s going to sting.   They are the tightest hockey club in terms of friendship, this core, who Brock is a huge part of.  
 

that’s the business of hockey and Brock and his agent can sign a one year deal, fair money and Garland becomes the trade bait.  
 

its Brocks choice and his agents choice too, if his salary is the one that is used to address other needs.  
 

Other players can be moved, with salary that are not a shiny… so it’s relative.   
 

but Brock and our first to get the player Alvin wants, then it’s his show now.  
 

Serious drafting shoes to step into… we won’t appreciate the drafter JB is, until the next few years. 
 

He made some boo-boos, the two standouts are JV and OJ.  
 

for exactly the opposite reason.  
 

The over adjusting in going from JV to OJ, well that’s called experience and experimentation.  
 

it’s learning.  The same guy found McCann, who would look nice in any lineup, Demko, Trymakin who didn’t really want to try living in NA, Forsling, wouldn’t he be nice atm and the loser facing jail.  That’s more draft success in two weeks than MG had in his entire tenure. 
 

The irony, he made the wrong moves after, and or, made the wrong first pick.  So too did everyone else.  
 

Brock, Gaudette, Petey, Hughes, Podz, Hogz, Woo, Rathbone, Martin, Klimovich, Jurmo, Karlsson and Utunnen were all armature or minor scouting finds… and there is still a pipeline.   It’s just less flashy, cause that’s what defence is.  
 

Are our minor league prospects and AHl guys first line or first paring folks… not likely, but they all have NHL potential well above anyone in the cupboard when JB took over.  
 

I want a RHD.  then another.. then draft all the other positions you want..

 

next year, repeat.  There is a very hot market on defencemen, let’s become a factory for more than goalies…

 

 

[HighOnHockey]

On to my Team Canada preview now:

 

The CHL is usually always finished the first round of playoffs by the start of this tournament. This year no player on any team going to the CHL playoffs will be on Team Canada, which leaves pretty slim pickings - just the handful of CHL teams out of playoffs, and then Canadians playing USHL or Junior A (one player is out of Canadian high school hockey...). Could be the worst team Canada has ever sent to this tournament. But... we have Connor Bedard, and so we have a fighting chance. I don't care that he's only 16 and only 5'9, kid is a gamebreaker anywhere against anyone at the junior level.

 

Continuing on with the forwards, there's Adam Fantilli - another almost sure-fire top 5 pick for 2023, and as a 2004 late birthday he has been 17 for most of the season and would have to be easily considered among the top 5 or 10 forwards in this tournament. That's something to work with. Matthew Wood looks like a beast of a player as well. Another certain top 10 pick for 2023, and possibly top 5, but he's also under-aged, having just turned 17. So Canada's top 3 players aren't eligible until the 2023 draft. Beyond that, there's some pretty solid forward depth led by David Goyette and Rieger Lorenz. It's a good mix of skill and some grit, but we're sorely lacking in size up front. I have no idea what the lines might look like, but here's what I would do:

 

Tanner Howe - Connor Bedard - Matthew Wood

David Goyette - Adam Fantilli - Nicholas Moldenhauer

Kocha Delic - Rieger Lorenz - Pano Fimis

 

Not a bad top nine but the 4th line might get eaten alive by the good teams. Another option would be to load up the top line with the 3 young superstars, spread things out among the other 3 lines and hope they can hold their own, and then put the Bedard line up against the other team's top lines and count on them to dominate everyone.

 

The situation is similar for the defense, with a top two (likely a pair) that you'd take against any other top two in the tournament, but then a steep drop-off. Lukas Dragicevik is probably another top 10 for 2023, and big Owen Pickering will be a first rounder for 2022, maybe even top 15 or 20. But after that it's Spencer Sova (maybe a 3rd rounder), Michael Mastrodomineco (5th-6th rounder) and the rest aren't certain to be drafted at all. They went with a couple giant bodies for the depth guys, I guess to compensate for some of the lack of size up front.

 

Forwards:  B+

Defense: B-

Goaltending: B-

Edited April 20, 2022 by HighOnHockey

[Warhippy]

15 minutes ago, HighOnHockey said:

On to my Team Canada preview now:

 

The CHL is usually always finished the first round of playoffs by the start of this tournament. This year no player on any team going to the CHL playoffs will be on Team Canada, which leaves pretty slim pickings - just the handful of CHL teams out of playoffs, and then Canadians playing USHL or Junior A (one player is out of Canadian high school hockey...). Could be the worst team Canada has ever sent to this tournament. But... we have Connor Bedard, and so we have a fighting chance. I don't care that he's only 16 and only 5'9, kid is a gamebreaker anywhere against anyone at the junior level.

 

Continuing on with the forwards, there's Adam Fantilli - another almost sure-fire top 5 pick for 2023, and as a 2004 late birthday he has been 17 for most of the season and would have to be easily considered among the top 5 or 10 forwards in this tournament. That's something to work with. Matthew Wood looks like a beast of a player as well. Another certain top 10 pick for 2023, and possibly top 5, but he's also under-aged, having just turned 17. So Canada's top 3 players aren't eligible until the 2023 draft. Beyond that, there's some pretty solid forward depth led by David Goyette and Rieger Lorenz. It's a good mix of skill and some grit, but we're sorely lacking in size up front. I have no idea what the lines might look like, but here's what I would do:

 

Tanner Howe - Connor Bedard - Matthew Wood

David Goyette - Adam Fantilli - Nicholas Moldenhauer

Kocha Delic - Rieger Lorenz - Pano Fimis

 

Not a bad top nine but the 4th line might get eaten alive by the good teams. Another option would be to load up the top line with the 3 young superstars, spread things out among the other 3 lines and hope they can hold their own, and then put the Bedard line up against the other team's top lines and count on them to dominate everyone.

 

The situation is similar for the defense, with a top two (likely a pair) that you'd take against any other top two in the tournament, but then a steep drop-off. Lukas Dragicevik is probably another top 10 for 2023, and big Owen Pickering will be a first rounder for 2022, maybe even top 15 or 20. But after that it's Spencer Sova (maybe a 3rd rounder), Michael Mastrodomineco (5th-6th rounder) and the rest aren't certain to be drafted at all. They went with a couple giant bodies for the depth guys, I guess to compensate for some of the lack of size up front.

 

Forwards:  B+

Defense: B-

Goaltending: B-

Micheal Misa was only 10 months away from being eligible for this tournament.  That's a future watch I am banking on.

 

I anticipate a meh team Canada but probably one of the most gritty hard working teams out there in some time.

[HighOnHockey]

Just one more I wanted to do, Team Finland:

 

Speaking of Misa and young prodigies, Aron Kiviharju. Could he be the best defenseman on Team Finland? In the tournament? The odd-on-favorite 2024 1st overall since he was in diapers. They also have the odds-on-favorite to win goalie of the tournament, the number one ranked European goalie by CSS, 6'5 Topias Leinonen. It's a pretty deep group up front. The top line might not be quite on the calibre of the other three top teams, but it's damned respectable, and this team is 4 lines and 3 D pairs deep with good players.

 

Top nine might look something like

 

Jani Nyman - Aleksanteri Kaskimaki - Joakim Kemell

Otto Hokkanen - Topi Ronni - Kasper Halttunen

Kasper Lundell - Jere Lassila - Lenni Hameenaho

 

On defense, I am guessing Kiviharju will start a little ways down the lineup, but will quickly establish himself as the guy. They've got some other really good D in Elmeri Laakso, Kasper Kulonummi, Otto Salin, Arttu Karki, but none have Kiviharju's "it" factor that will allow him to go head-to-head and match wits the the likes of Bedard, Cooley, Lekkerimaki.

 

Forwards:  B

Defense:  B

Goaltending:  A-

Edited April 21, 2022 by HighOnHockey

[Sedintwinpowersactivate]

I’m going to be paying attention to the draft from now on.  Unfortunately the season looks done.

[Phat Fingers]

Their are some very enticing prospects that could be the ideal partner for our number 1 D man, Nemec, Jircek and Luneau are all in the first.  Maybe Jircek is there when we pick, Nemec is climbed a lot. 

[theo5789]

5 hours ago, Phat Fingers said:

Their are some very enticing prospects that could be the ideal partner for our number 1 D man, Nemec, Jircek and Luneau are all in the first.  Maybe Jircek is there when we pick, Nemec is climbed a lot. 

I think Nemec and Jiricek go in the top 10. Unlikely either are available to us unless we win the lottery. Luneau should be available, but I've seen him ranked mostly as a late 1st or even out of the 1st in some rankings, so not sure if he would be a reach for us. Haven't heard too much hype for Ty Nelson, most likely cause he's on a smaller-ish side, but he's seemingly been ranked higher than Luneau overall.

 

There are some pretty decent LD as well despite not being a major need for us, but they could be more likely as BPA at our pick. Mintyukov is ranked right around our pick on most boards so far. Good size and has offensive flair, not the greatest in the defensive zone yet. Mateychuk was a captain in the top prospects game I believe with decent numbers and also ranked around our pick. Pickering is a 6'5 dman that has been climbing up the ranks lately. Korchinski has been turning some heads, but most rankings have him as a later pick in the 1st round so far. Seems like all of these LD have been viewed more favourably over Luneau.

 

If we are indeed targetting Luneau, I hope we trade down and add a pick or two in the process.