2022 NHL Entry Draft

[JM_]

2 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Signing Kuzmenko allows JR to select a guy at 15 who might not be able to play for us for a few years, like Miroshnichenko.  I question whether the player will be there at 15 though.  If he is, it would be a mistake to pass.  He's going to be one of the best players in this draft.  Should be top 10 for sure, if not top 5.

Button seems pretty convinced he should go at 15 to us. 

 

I don't know that Allvin lets Kasper slip by us tho if he's still at 15.

[Smashian Kassian]

4 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Signing Kuzmenko allows JR to select a guy at 15 who might not be able to play for us for a few years, like Miroshnichenko.  I question whether the player will be there at 15 though.  If he is, it would be a mistake to pass.  He's going to be one of the best players in this draft.  Should be top 10 for sure, if not top 5.

 

Do you know if he has a contract in Russia? (Like Podz did)

 

Development wise he's minimum a year out given his health situation, but he's apparently in the clear on that & will be ready to play next season. Hes already had a good year against men (better VHL production than Podz had in his D+1 yr), maybe he's in the KHL next year then the NHL the year after. 

 

If he's available I think I'd take him too. Just too much upside to pass on.

[Smashian Kassian]

1 minute ago, JM_ said:

Button seems pretty convinced he should go at 15 to us. 

 

I don't know that Allvin lets Kasper slip by us tho if he's still at 15.

 

Really? Kasper seems like a lower upside pick from what I've read. Maybe more NHL ready/sure-fire but at 15 I think there will be a better player available.

[Wolfgang Durst]

12 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

Yzerman has only been with Detroit since 2019. And Yzerman doesn't have a lot to do with the draft. As with any GM, he leaves most of that to the scouts.

It is a well known fact that Stevie travelled several times to Germany in order to watch Moritz Seider ahead of the draft. Not only to watch Seider playing but also to have interviews with the whole coaching staff from Seider's former team , Adler Mannheim.

In addition I watched a pre-draft interview from the Detroit Red wings org and was quite shocked that it was indeed Stevie who came across Brayden Point when he travelled to  a game schedule somewhere in Sasketchewan (unfortunately I don't remember the team) focuing to scout a prospect for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

Stevie's involvement in drafting prospects is seriously underestimated.

[Alflives]

8 minutes ago, JM_ said:

Button seems pretty convinced he should go at 15 to us. 

 

I don't know that Allvin lets Kasper slip by us tho if he's still at 15.

IMO Miroshnichenko is going to be a far better NHL player than Kasper.  I hope, if both are there at 15, we take the guy who will be the superior player.  What we don't want any more is the Benning (I watched him play for a weekend and he's my guy) picks.  JR and Allvin will defer to their scouting department (including analytics) for all their picks.

[NucknAsia]

3 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

 

Can he put up 80 points? RNH was the obvious #1 too. 

 

I agree there are no glaring flaws, just what's the upside? He doesn't need to dangle through the whole team, but hes not creative & doesn't try to push the pace. He has a good shot but how often is he in a prine position to use it? He often just doesn't look like a standout offensive player.

 

He did have 90 points so maybe he's just been focusing on defense, to the detriment of offense. He'll be a good player but are we talking bonafide #1C good? I'm not sure. ROR is more of a unique specimen, Kopitar is more creative, Bergeron is the best 2way FWD of all time, idk if he's any of those guys.

None of us know. Time will tell.

 

The point I think Button was making is a great hockey player isn't only about being flashy. Your 1c doesn't have to be a standout / 90 pt player to be a 1c.

 

Kopitar has hit 90 pts once in his career, other than that averaged 60-70 pts

Bergeron has never hit 80 pts in his career, averaged 55-65 pts

O'Reilly, same as Bergeron. 

 

I think most would agree they are all 1c's. And not saying he's any of those because we don't know. But to suggest just because a guy isn't flashy and putting up 100 pts in junior he's not a 1c and top pick is silly

 

Only time will tell as I said, but if he has no flaws to his game, there is actually a very good chance he could meet or exceed some of those names because all of them had flaws when they were drafted.

 

And the such praise is not heard very often about players. A player who can skate extremely well, has size, has a pro shot, see's the ice well, plays hard and understands how to play defense and is committed to it, good in the circle, along the boards, etc.

 

Sounds to me like a pure gem of a hockey player that is damn hard to play against because he can beat you in a host of ways, and doesn't make it easy on you. Sounds alot more like the names above than it does RNH dude.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by NucknAsia

[Bure_Pavel]

16 hours ago, NucknAsia said:

5'9" center...I think we will pass given our needs. He will drop because of his size, be converted to wing and probably do quite well.

If Savoie is still there at 15 and we pass on him I will be pissed, he has elite skills.

[JM_]

53 minutes ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

Really? Kasper seems like a lower upside pick from what I've read. Maybe more NHL ready/sure-fire but at 15 I think there will be a better player available.

safe bet for an eventual top 9 C. Just my feeling on it. I'd prefer to swing for the fences on this pick. 

[JM_]

45 minutes ago, Alflives said:

IMO Miroshnichenko is going to be a far better NHL player than Kasper.  I hope, if both are there at 15, we take the guy who will be the superior player.  What we don't want any more is the Benning (I watched him play for a weekend and he's my guy) picks.  JR and Allvin will defer to their scouting department (including analytics) for all their picks.

big risks with him tho. Is he even going to play next season? 

[Alflives]

Just now, Bure_Pavel said:

If Savoie is still there at 15 and we pass on him I will be pissed, he has elite skills.

Savoie is the guy who drops this draft.  It seems many scouts feel his game isn't going to transfer will to the NHL.  I think we could trade down to the bottom of round one, pick up a later second to do so, and still get a very good player in round one.  There will be several good players, who become good NHLers selected later in round one and in round two from this draft.  It's got a few guys at the top who look good, but after that, it's all over the place.  

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, JM_ said:

big risks with him tho. Is he even going to play next season? 

Big risks with any player, especially lower in the draft.  I'm just thankful the "Benning" (I saw him one weekend and he's my guy) is gone.  The people hired to pick the best players will be doing the selecting.  

[Bure_Pavel]

18 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Big risks with any player, especially lower in the draft.  I'm just thankful the "Benning" (I saw him one weekend and he's my guy) is gone.  The people hired to pick the best players will be doing the selecting.  

He has a bit more risk than your average player, its not like he missed time with a wrist injury, he had cancer. 

 

Also:

 

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by Bure_Pavel

[Warhippy]

15 hours ago, hammertime said:

Yzerman is taking Lambert or Bichsel he's building a team through the draft brick by brick.. Raymond Sieder Edvinsson, Tuomisto, McIsac, Cossa Veleno. He missed on Zadina. I think his blueprint requires the tools Lambert has. Could see him trading down again and getting both. 

Man, I just see it.  I don't know why but there's something about Savoie and the way he plays that reminds me of young Stevie Y.

 

I could easily see Yzerman taking Bichsel, hell I'd take him at 15 if he's there.  Lambert as well.  But something about Savoie has me thinking Stevie is picking him

[Warhippy]

16 hours ago, NucknAsia said:

5'9" center...I think we will pass given our needs. He will drop because of his size, be converted to wing and probably do quite well.

Yzerman was 5 foot 9 inches when drafted and was smaller in body mass than savoie.

[JM_]

14 minutes ago, Bure_Pavel said:

He has a bit more risk than your average player, its not like he missed time with a wrist injury, he had cancer. 

 

Also:

 

 

 

eep, we can't draft any more dum dum's. 

 

[R3aL]

10 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

 

I have it Lekkerimaki, Ohgren, Ostlund. I know you asked about the forwards, but actually have Odelius ahead of Ostlund as well. I have Lekkerimaki somewhere from 5-7 in my overall rankings, and Ohgren 10-12, depending what we do with the Russians. I have Ostlund toward the end of the 1st round.

 

Lots to like about Ostlund for sure, but more question marks than the other two. He's an absolute weapon carrying through the neutral zone, but I'd like to see him drive play forward more in the offensive zone, and find ways to do so without taking excessive risk.

 

Your narrative seems strange to me, as I see Ostlund as much flashier than the other two. But also riskier. Lekkerimaki and Ohgren are both tremendously pro-style players, using their teammates well, skating good routes off the puck, being pretty good at knowing when to make the safe possession play vs when to make an offensive play. Ostlund is what I call a high-event player. He just has the puck so goddamn much, and he makes a lot of spectacular plays, but a lot of not so great plays as well.

 

Lekkerimaki strikes me as a player who can create offense with very little risk taken. He might go a few shifts without creating anything high-danger, but then once every few shifts he finds a way to create a high-danger chance with minimal risk. Guys like this, who can give up the puck and get in positions to give his linemates the best chance to make good plays - to me that's what "making players around you better" is all about.

 

This applies somewhat to Ohgren too, but not to nearly the same degree. He doesn't have the same offensive IQ or creativity, but he's already 200 lbs and his raw tools are exceptional. Some similarities to Miroshnichenko in that sense actually. Ohgren is also a very low-event player, similar to Alex Holtz in his draft year. Pretty unusual for this quality of prospect as most players of this calibre want to control play as much as possible, but for Holtz as for Ohgren, they just don't seem to have the puck very often - but then when they do it's usually not for very long before it's suddenly in the back of the net.

I haven’t watched them play much just the recent international play and their highlights and some tape with scouting reports to highlight points.

 

but my understanding for Ostlund is:

 

- great skater uses crossovers effectively to build speed 

- extremely gifted passer 

- very responsible defensively

- plays C properly and opens the ice for wingers

- high IQ 

- good at protecting puck / possession player 

- knows where to be on ice when doesn’t have puck 

 

cons:

 

- weight / strength 

- didn’t adjust to SHL speed right away needs more time

 

I didn’t take him for a flashy player in what I’ve read and seen outside of his recent int play. 
 

I feel like he’s playing a more valuable position C and his play, playmaking (passing especially) has boosted his two wingers production and it’s getting overlooked a little because of their finish.

 

but he’s ranked below both wingers by majority of public rankings so like you’ve said I’m missing info or just seeing things differently from the greater majority.

 

we will see I just get the feeling people are sleeping on this kid a little. 

[R3aL]

10 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

 

I have it Lekkerimaki, Ohgren, Ostlund. I know you asked about the forwards, but actually have Odelius ahead of Ostlund as well. I have Lekkerimaki somewhere from 5-7 in my overall rankings, and Ohgren 10-12, depending what we do with the Russians. I have Ostlund toward the end of the 1st round.

 

Lots to like about Ostlund for sure, but more question marks than the other two. He's an absolute weapon carrying through the neutral zone, but I'd like to see him drive play forward more in the offensive zone, and find ways to do so without taking excessive risk.

 

Your narrative seems strange to me, as I see Ostlund as much flashier than the other two. But also riskier. Lekkerimaki and Ohgren are both tremendously pro-style players, using their teammates well, skating good routes off the puck, being pretty good at knowing when to make the safe possession play vs when to make an offensive play. Ostlund is what I call a high-event player. He just has the puck so goddamn much, and he makes a lot of spectacular plays, but a lot of not so great plays as well.

 

Lekkerimaki strikes me as a player who can create offense with very little risk taken. He might go a few shifts without creating anything high-danger, but then once every few shifts he finds a way to create a high-danger chance with minimal risk. Guys like this, who can give up the puck and get in positions to give his linemates the best chance to make good plays - to me that's what "making players around you better" is all about.

 

This applies somewhat to Ohgren too, but not to nearly the same degree. He doesn't have the same offensive IQ or creativity, but he's already 200 lbs and his raw tools are exceptional. Some similarities to Miroshnichenko in that sense actually. Ohgren is also a very low-event player, similar to Alex Holtz in his draft year. Pretty unusual for this quality of prospect as most players of this calibre want to control play as much as possible, but for Holtz as for Ohgren, they just don't seem to have the puck very often - but then when they do it's usually not for very long before it's suddenly in the back of the net.

And amazing reply thanks mate 

[Bure_Pavel]

Mason Beaupit is a good choice if we are looking for a very late round goalie selection. Big kid from Surrey but still very raw, great shot recovery though. 

 

Vinzenz Rohrer (Ottawa 67’s) and Isaiah George (London Knights) could be good later round picks as well

Edited June 21, 2022 by Bure_Pavel

[HighOnHockey]

1 hour ago, R3aL said:

I haven’t watched them play much just the recent international play and their highlights and some tape with scouting reports to highlight points.

 

but my understanding for Ostlund is:

 

- great skater uses crossovers effectively to build speed 

- extremely gifted passer 

- very responsible defensively

- plays C properly and opens the ice for wingers

- high IQ 

- good at protecting puck / possession player 

- knows where to be on ice when doesn’t have puck 

 

cons:

 

- weight / strength 

- didn’t adjust to SHL speed right away needs more time

 

I didn’t take him for a flashy player in what I’ve read and seen outside of his recent int play. 
 

I feel like he’s playing a more valuable position C and his play, playmaking (passing especially) has boosted his two wingers production and it’s getting overlooked a little because of their finish.

 

but he’s ranked below both wingers by majority of public rankings so like you’ve said I’m missing info or just seeing things differently from the greater majority.

 

we will see I just get the feeling people are sleeping on this kid a little. 

Have you seen the highlights on Ostlund? I think it's Recrutes has a really fun one called the elusiveness of Noah Ostlund or something like that. Kid is shifty.

 

But the big question I think we're getting at here is playmaking with the puck vs. playmaking without the puck. Ostlund is generally always the one with the puck leading play into the offensive zone. Very few players in this draft better at making plays through the neutral zone. Lambert is the only one I can think of that I would take over Ostlund in that regard. But then once in the offensive zone, how much can be credited to Ostlund making high level plays with the puck and how much should be credited to Lekkerimaki and Ohgren making high level plays off the puck that allow Ostlund to make good plays to them. I tend to think that making good plays off the puck is more of a pro-level skill, whereas so many top junior players can make elite plays with the puck. Ostlund is almost certainly not going to be able to drive play and always carry the puck at the NHL level to the extent he does in junior.

 

The other question I'm always trying to ask myself with highly skilled, high event players like this in junior is what percentage of those high events is he clicking on. Guys that make a lot of high-end plays while almost never make a bad play (Wright, Cooley) are obvious top picks. But guys like Ostlund, Kemell, Lambert, Savoie, who make a lot of high-end plays, but also make a fair amount of mistakes while attempting those high-end plays, gives some cause for reservation. Because you're not going to get so many opportunities to dictate play in the NHL if you're making a lot of mistakes trying to do so.

Edited June 21, 2022 by HighOnHockey

[Smashian Kassian]

1 hour ago, Bure_Pavel said:

He has a bit more risk than your average player, its not like he missed time with a wrist injury, he had cancer. 

 

Also:

 

 

 

Surprised he said this. That's not what I've seen but I know he spends more time doing this than me. Have to watch more I suppose.

 

If anyone is interested; 

 

 

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by Smashian Kassian