Prospect Info: 2022 Devils Centric Mock Draft 3.0 -- We won pick #2!!!

[devilsblood]

2) I'm not sure which goalie you're speaking of. In this particular draft, I'm willing to wait until the 4th round or later to take a G. But I'm definitely grabbing one somewhere.

Zhigalov?

 

[StevenToddIves]

Zhigalov?

I like what I've seen from Zhigalov playing for Sherbrooke, but I have to be honest and say I'm uncomfortable scouting goalies because it's just not my particular talent.

With goalies, I have a couple of contacts in the business I try to mine for opinions, and multiple people have mentioned the 6'3 Belarussan as a potential sleeper, so he's a guy I've been targeting in my draft simulations. The CSS listed him as the #2 G in North America, which is a pretty good endorsement. Though I have issues with the CSS player rankings, their goalie rankings are typically pretty strong.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

2022 Devils-Centric Mock Draft, 3.0 — We won the #2 overall pick!!! (Through Devils 2nd round pick, so keep reading...)

P.S.
Damn, I work fast. You're welcome, I accept pay in beer.

1. MTL: C Shane Wright, Kingston OHL tough to see the Habs getting creative here, when they can envision a quick rebuild around an elite C duo of Wright/Suzuki
2. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: LW Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS Finland it’s my conviction this choice comes down to Slafkovsky vs. Jiricek, both rare talents who offer precisely what the Devils need. Here, I have them opting for a rare combination of talent in Slafkovsky — a 6’4-220 beast down low and in the crease who also offers elite playmaking and puck skills. The idea of a future top line with Hughes centering Slafkovsky and Bratt is simply sublime.
3. ARI: C Logan Cooley, US-NTDP the Coyotes finally get the #1 center they’ve needed for seemingly ever; Cooley is a speed-demon with dynamic offensive abilities and a complete all-around game.
4. SEA: RD David Jiricek, HC Plzen Czechia having taken a franchise caliber C last year in Beniers, the Kraken tap a franchise defender in the 6’3, physical beast with a howitzer shot and a rare combination of power, mobility and puck-skills.
5. PHI: RD Simon Nemec, HK Nitra Slovakia the Flyers’ entire blueline needs an upgrade, and they have no offensive D with the ability of Nemec, who is also a superlative defender with elite puck-moving skills
6. CLB: C Conor Geekie, Winnipeg WHL the Blue Jackets are desperate for a top-line center and also always draft big; the 6’4 Geekie has elite shooting and puck-skills, but his compete level and two-way game need to be greatly honed in order to reach his stratospheric upside.
7. OTT: RW Joakim Kemell, JYP Finland years of high drafting have loaded up the Senators, but they lack a pure sniper of Kemell’s elite capabilities; Kemell also features a high-end motor and very solid complete game
8. DET: RW/C Frank Nazar, US-NTDP GM Steve Yzerman loves drafting the high-compete/high-IQ guys, and Nazar also adds to this a dynamic offensive skill set and deceptively good interior game
9. BUF: C Matt Savoie, Winnipeg WHL one of the top pure offensive talents in the 2022 class, Buffalo would love to add more high-end skill to a very promising future top 6 alongside high-end youngsters like Cozens, Krebs, Quinn and Peterka.
10. ANH: LW Cutter Gauthier, US-NTDP the Ducks love drafting the big/tough guys, and Gauthier may be the best pure power F in the 2022 class; plays like a lost Tkachuk brother and features a bomb of a shot
11. SJ: RW/C Brad Lambert, Pelicans Finland Lambert is a top 3 talent with perhaps the best combination of skating and puck skills in the class; questions about compete and consistency could drop him out of the top 10 and San Jose has a huge need to juice up the high-end skill level for their future top 6
12. CLB: RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Djurgardens Sweden the best pure sniper in the draft aside from Kemell, Lekkerimaki would take a bit of the scoring heat off Laine and make the Blue Jackets more offensively explosive on the whole
13. NYI: RD Ryan Chesley, US-NTDP right up GM Lou Lamoriello’s alley is a player like Chesley — the best shut-down defender in the draft who also is quite competent with the puck and features a rocket-launcher shot from the point
14. WPG: C Rutger McGroarty, US-NTDP a sublime scorer with a nasty streak and outstanding two-way game, McGroarty is the penultimate “everything but speed” forward; the Jets might lose Scheifele in the next season and lack anything up the middle on the farm
15. VAN: C Marco Kasper, Rogle Sweden the Canucks need more center depth and this lightning-fast young Austrian is a physical, two-way beast up the middle
16. BUF: LW/C Jiri Kulich, HC Karlovy Czechia no player improved their stock more at the U-18 tourney than Kulich, who was probably the best player in the event; Kulich offers an elite combination of skill, compete level and hockey IQ and could rise even higher than this.
17. NSH: LD Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw OHL no team develops defenders quite like Nashville, which is on the verge of needing another injection of youth for the blueline. Mintyukov is the top LD for 2022 and might be the top offensive defender altogether, but needs work on his 200-foot game.
18. DAL: LW/RW Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk KHL how far will the Russians fall due to the conflict in Ukraine? Yurov is a physical, high-compete, all-purpose, top 6 winger who would be a top 10 pick in normal circumstances, but a Stars team which is desperate for scorers would love to find him here.
19. LA: LD Kevin Korchinski, Seattle WHL the Kings are stacked with perhaps the top prospect pool in the entire NHL; as such they can afford to wait on the enormous potential of the still-raw Korchinski, a speedy 6’2 defender with high-end passing vision and puck skills
20. WSH: C/RW Nathan Gaucher, Quebec QMJHL the Caps love their power forwards, and Gaucher plays a high-compete game with a large nasty-streak; he’s also a very good scorer and one of the 2022 class’ best face-off men
21. PIT: RW Filip Mesar, HK Poprad Slovakia the Pens are on a relentless quest for high-talent wings to pair with Crosby and Malkin; Mesar is a speedy winger with high-end skill across the board despite lacking any singular elite talent
22. EDM: LW Liam Ohgren, Djurgardens Sweden the Oilers are on a relentless quest for high-talent wings to pair with McDavid and Draisaitl; Ohgren is a big-bodied, high-compete winger with very good skills across the board despite lacking any singular elite talent
23. ANH: LD Owen Pickering, Swift Current WHL the Ducks need tons of bolstering so far as organizational LD talent, and Pickering fits their profile as a rangy, 6’5 D with outstanding skating and some pretty intriguing offensive upside.
24. STL: RW Jimmy Snuggerud, US-NTDP the Blues love their big, physical forwards and Snuggerud compliments this with a combination of 2RW-type offensive upside and maybe the best overall defensive play of any winger on the US-NTDP
25. TB: LW Ian Howard, US-NTDP another player who skyrocketed their stock at the U18 tournament, Howard is a bit undersized but a tremendous finisher and playmaker who excels alongside the type of top-end talent prevalent in the Lightning line-up
26. NYR: C Filip Bystedt, Linkoping Sweden Jr. the Rangers’ most pressing need is up the middle and the new front office loves size/strength, so the 6’4 Bystedt is a reasonable expectation for a team which loves to draft out of Sweden
27. MIN: RD Tristan Luneau, Gatineau QMJHL the top Wild need may be at RD, and the two-way Luneau is a jack-of-all-trades who projects perfectly to an NHL middle pair with a very high floor
28. TOR: RW Gleb Trikozov, Omskie MHL the Leafs use the unrest in Russia to swing for the fences with the high end talent of Trikozov, a magician with the puck who also features an elite hockey IQ
29. MTL: LW Ivan Miroshnichenko, Omskie VHL speaking of swinging for the fences, with a trio of picks in the top 33 the Habs can afford to take a chance on the top-3-type talent of Miro, who may be a risk due to illness and the New Russian Factor, but also offers superstar-type upside
30. ARI: RD Elias Salomonsson, Skelleftea Sweden Jr. the Coyotes need to bolster pretty much every area in the organization. It’s a safe bet they’ll go for a center at #3, which leaves a defenseman very possible with one of their pair of later picks int he 1st round. Salomonsson is unbelievably talented, though his hockey IQ and compete level have been questioned.
31. ARI: LD Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw WHL the Coyotes can fill another need at LD with Mateychuk, a speedy and skilled, competitive and smart two-way defender who checks every box but for size
32. BUF: C Owen Beck, Mississauga OHL one of my favorites for the 2022 draft, the speedy and high-compete Beck is always the most noticeable player on the ice; he’s also a shut-down defender with high-end offensive capability — a can’t-miss steal anywhere after #25 overall
33. MTL: RD Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville QMJHL the Habs build the future blueline with a towering, 6’7 local product who loves to bash bodies and also features excellent skating and puck skills, especially for a man his size
34. ARI: RW Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw WHL needing scoring at every level, the Coyotes would be thrilled with the flashy and dynamic but slightly-undersized Firkus, who absolutely lit up the WHL all season long
35. SEA: RW Alexander Perevalov, Loko Yaroslavl MHL the Kraken need high-end wingers, and Perevalov may be the most under-rated player for the entire 2022 class; a high-compete/high-IQ player with elite skills across the board, were he also an elite skater he might be universally considered where I’ve ranked him… at #8 overall
36. PHI: C/LW Jack Hughes, Northeastern University NCAA not to be confused with our Jack Hughes, this one is still extremely impressive in his own right; a high-compete and versatile two-way forward with high-end passing acumen and a dagger-sharp hockey sense
37. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: RD Sam Rinzel, Waterloo USHL if the Devils take a D at #2, I’d expect them to go F here. But, as in this scenario I have them opting for Slafkovsky, the Devils are going to be hard-pressed to find a RD in the 2nd round. Rinzel would be a shoot-for-the-moon type pick, as he’s 6’4 and has excellent offensive skill and dynamic skating ability. However, he’s still a bit raw and unproven at the higher levels, so this would be a high-upside type pick with a modicum of risk attached, as well.

Hi, randomly saw this post in my feed.
Well done on the list

Still hoping someone reaches on a LHD in top 10 and savoie drops to Ana at 10 , but ill be stoked to get Gauthier if he becomes anything like tkachuck.

Good choice for ducks boston pick too... a lot of us are hoping Bischel drops there(unlikely), but then we kinda are in a toss up with Pickering and Rinzel.... we have a lot of LHD in our system (Vaaks, Thrun, Lacombe, Zellweger, Hinds to name a few).... but on the right side we are a bit weak with Drysdale Helleson Andersson and Moore being the solid looking ones. There is a part of me that really thinks Anaheim goes Rinzel at 23. But we shall see

 

[Eggtimer]

1) I think Schaefer goes late 1st/early 2nd by a team looking for the next Tom Wilson, or something closely related. He's a bit of a unicorn in this draft -- with his stellar defense and immense physicality (he's the most physical forward with any top-6 potential in the 2022 class) he's just a nightmare to play against. When you throw in his howitzer of a shot and quick release, well -- let's just say Reid Schaefer is the type of player NHL front offices appreciate more than draft evaluators in the media.

2) I'm not sure which goalie you're speaking of. In this particular draft, I'm willing to wait until the 4th round or later to take a G. But I'm definitely grabbing one somewhere.

I watched him play a couple times . He stands out in a good way. Nothing amazig but is a player that everyone says they wish were in their team .

I watched him play a couple times . He stands out in a good way. Nothing amazig but is a player that everyone says they wish were in their team . More or less opposition is afraid of him

 

[StevenToddIves]

Hi, randomly saw this post in my feed.
Well done on the list

Still hoping someone reaches on a LHD in top 10 and savoie drops to Ana at 10 , but ill be stoked to get Gauthier if he becomes anything like tkachuck.

Good choice for ducks boston pick too... a lot of us are hoping Bischel drops there(unlikely), but then we kinda are in a toss up with Pickering and Rinzel.... we have a lot of LHD in our system (Vaaks, Thrun, Lacombe, Zellweger, Hinds to name a few).... but on the right side we are a bit weak with Drysdale Helleson Andersson and Moore being the solid looking ones. There is a part of me that really thinks Anaheim goes Rinzel at 23. But we shall see

Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow the HFBoards Devils draft threads -- we have some really great contributors and openly welcome fans from other teams to chime in.

Here's the link to my April Top 100 prospect rankings for the 2022 draft, if you're interested:

Prospect Info: - Ives 2022 Top 100 NHL Draft Rankings (Spring Edition, 2.0)

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...

hfboards.mandatory.com

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow the HFBoards Devils draft threads -- we have some really great contributors and openly welcome fans from other teams to chime in.

Here's the link to my April Top 100 prospect rankings for the 2022 draft, if you're interested:

Prospect Info: - Ives 2022 Top 100 NHL Draft Rankings (Spring Edition, 2.0)

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...

hfboards.mandatory.com

Will check them out, thanks for the suggestion.

cant wait for draft day! As much as i feel like the Devils should take Jiricek or Nemec... i feel like they cant pass up Slaf.

Also am i blind or does your new list not have Bischel in 1st round?

 

[StevenToddIves]

I watched him play a couple times . He stands out in a good way. Nothing amazig but is a player that everyone says they wish were in their team .

Schaefer doesn't stand out like a "line-driver" would. But his great defense and physicality are noticeable all game long, and when he can wind up that howitzer of a shot? Whoooo boy. He's deadly.

I have Reid Schaefer ranked #31 overall right now, which is higher than literally anyone else on the planet. I'm also quite comfortable with the ranking. This is a very, very good hockey player.

 

[youryeah]

reid schaefer looks like the lead villain in a kids hockey movie who gets bested by the main character in the finals of their state championship game. I want him

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

reid schaefer looks like the lead villain in a kids hockey movie who gets bested by the main character in the finals of their state championship game. I want him

View attachment 548886

Yeah that's one of the varsity in Mighty Ducks 3 for sure

 

[Devs3cups]

reid schaefer looks like the lead villain in a kids hockey movie who gets bested by the main character in the finals of their state championship game. I want him

View attachment 548886

 

[Brodeur]

I usually don't like doing mock drafts before the Conference Finals since the order is still in flux. But now that 1-28 is set in stone, here's my mock up to our 2nd rounder.

1st Round
--------------
1. Montreal - C Shane Wright -- fans attending the draft might make an Eagles/McNabb-esque scene if they didn't pick him.

2. New Jersey - LW Juraj Slafkovsky -- hopefully adds an element that we've been missing up front

3. Arizona - C Logan Cooley -- Scorched Earth rebuild gets a potential #1C prospect

4. Seattle - RD Simon Nemec -- Only one D signed past 2023.

5. Philadelphia - RD David Jiricek -- Maybe need a RD on an ELC with Ellis/Ristolainen signed for six more years.

6. Columbus (via Chicago) - LW/C Cutter Gauthier -- Sorta replaces what they lost in Dubois. Head scout based in Ann Arbor, so some tendency to take USNTDP/UMich players.

7. Ottawa - RW Joakim Kemell -- Wouldn't be surprised if they traded the pick. They reached for a RW last year, here they take a conventional one.

8. Detroit - C/RW Matt Savoie -- Yzerman always zigs when I think he's gonna zag. Savoie has some vague similarities to Brayden Point.

9. Buffalo - C/LW Marco Kasper -- Late riser, maybe lacks top line/PP upside.

10. Anaheim - RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki -- Pat Verbeek's first draft as GM. Ducks seem set down the middle, so they add a winger for Zegras/McTavish.

11. San Jose - LD Kevin Korchinski -- Offensive minded D, replaces Brent Burns in a couple seasons.

12. Columbus - LD Pavel Mintyukov -- Would be more ideal if he were a righty. Played in OHL/Michigan this season, CBJ haven't been afraid to take Russians.

13. NY Islanders - LD Owen Pickering -- Bit of a reach after missing out on the previous two D. Pickering had a big growth spurt, so maybe some additional untapped upside.

14. Winnipeg - C Conor Geekie -- Local product, heavy boots but decent production.

15. Vancouver - RW Brad Lambert -- Could crack the top 10 but could drop even further.

16. Buffalo (via Vegas) - RW Frank Nazar -- Maybe could take a home run swing on one of the Russians instead?

17. Dallas - LW Rutger McGroarty -- USNTDP captain, some Blake Coleman type qualities.

18. Nashville - C/LW Jiri Kulich -- Preds have gone Russians in the first round the last two years, so maybe they could do it again with Miroshnichenko/Yurov. But Kulich might be the "safer" pick here.

19. Los Angeles - LW Ivan Miroshnichenko -- Kings have a stacked farm, so they would be equipped to take a chance here. Also wouldn't be surprising if LA used this pick to trade for immediate help.

20. Washington - LD Denton Mateychuk -- Assistant GM/former head scout Ross Mahoney based in WHL. Offensive minded D to maybe take over for John Carlson down the line.

21. Pittsburgh - RW Danila Yurov -- Maybe doesn't seem like a typical Hextall/Burke type pick. But more upside than remaining guys. Wouldn't be shocked if they traded down for additional picks (looking in Arizona's general direction).

22. Anaheim (via Boston) - LD Lian Bischel -- Yzerman has been drafting redwoods on defense, so here Verbeek follows his mentor's lead. Not a ton of offensive upside, but they already have Drysdale/Zellweger on the back end.

23. St. Louis - LW Alexander Perevalov -- Not an urgent pick but maybe lacking a scoring wing in the pipeline.

24. Minnesota - RW Jimmy Snuggerud -- "hometown" kid also going to University of Minnesota. Wild could use a RH winger now and down the road.

25. Toronto - RW Filip Mesar -- Similar to them drafting Rodion Amirov over Braden Schneider. They seem to prefer upside over positional need. Maybe another candidate to trade down for more picks.

26. Montreal (via Calgary) - RD Tristan Luneau -- Obligatory QMJHL PR pick to get a cheer from the home crowd.

27. Arizona (via Carolina) - LW Isaac Howard -- undersized but keeps scoring.

28. Buffalo (via Florida) - RD Ryan Chesley -- Gave some thought to them taking him at #16. Seems like a safe RD to complement Dahlin/Power.

tbd. Edmonton - RW Jagger Firkas -- Obligatory Alberta prospect.

tbd. Tampa Bay - RD Seamus Casey -- Definite candidate to trade down but a fun PR story if they took a Florida trained prospect. Undersized offensive minded D.

tbd. Winnipeg (via NY Rangers) - RD Sam Rinzel -- Maybe coincidental with Manitoba sharing a border with Minnesota, but the Jets always seem to have a decent amount of Minnesota guys. Like us, they lack RD prospects in the pipeline.

tbd. Arizona (via Colorado) - LW Liam Ohgren -- Slips a bit, Coyotes throw more talent onto the pile.


2nd Round
--------------
33. Montreal - C/RW Nathan Gaucher -- Another obligatory Quebecois pick. I feel like they would avoid the look of nepotism and pass over GM Kent Hughes' son (the other Jack Hughes).

34. Arizona - C Luca Del Bel Belluz -- Could crack first round but skating looks a bit awkward.

35. Seattle - LW Reid Schaefer -- Obligatory local WHL product.

36. Arizona (via Philadelphia) - RD Maveric Lamoureux -- Bill Armstrong drafted Colton Parayko in St. Louis, so maybe he gets a similar upside guy in Lamoureux?

37. New Jersey - RD Noah Warren -- Had Rinzel here before Winnipeg got an extra pick. Decent skater, but offense probably won't be his calling card. Maybe a Josh Manson type?

 

[Fanatik]

I usually don't like doing mock drafts before the Conference Finals since the order is still in flux. But now that 1-28 is set in stone, here's my mock up to our 2nd rounder.

1st Round
--------------
1. Montreal - C Shane Wright -- fans attending the draft might make an Eagles/McNabb-esque scene if they didn't pick him.

2. New Jersey - LW Juraj Slafkovsky -- hopefully adds an element that we've been missing up front

3. Arizona - C Logan Cooley -- Scorched Earth rebuild gets a potential #1C prospect

4. Seattle - RD Simon Nemec -- Only one D signed past 2023.

5. Philadelphia - RD David Jiricek -- Maybe need a RD on an ELC with Ellis/Ristolainen signed for six more years.

6. Columbus (via Chicago) - LW/C Cutter Gauthier -- Sorta replaces what they lost in Dubois. Head scout based in Ann Arbor, so some tendency to take USNTDP/UMich players.

7. Ottawa - RW Joakim Kemell -- Wouldn't be surprised if they traded the pick. They reached for a RW last year, here they take a conventional one.

8. Detroit - C/RW Matt Savoie -- Yzerman always zigs when I think he's gonna zag. Savoie has some vague similarities to Brayden Point.

9. Buffalo - C/LW Marco Kasper -- Late riser, maybe lacks top line/PP upside.

10. Anaheim - RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki -- Pat Verbeek's first draft as GM. Ducks seem set down the middle, so they add a winger for Zegras/McTavish.

11. San Jose - LD Kevin Korchinski -- Offensive minded D, replaces Brent Burns in a couple seasons.

12. Columbus - LD Pavel Mintyukov -- Would be more ideal if he were a righty. Played in OHL/Michigan this season, CBJ haven't been afraid to take Russians.

13. NY Islanders - LD Owen Pickering -- Bit of a reach after missing out on the previous two D. Pickering had a big growth spurt, so maybe some additional untapped upside.

14. Winnipeg - C Conor Geekie -- Local product, heavy boots but decent production.

15. Vancouver - RW Brad Lambert -- Could crack the top 10 but could drop even further.

16. Buffalo (via Vegas) - RW Frank Nazar -- Maybe could take a home run swing on one of the Russians instead?

17. Dallas - LW Rutger McGroarty -- USNTDP captain, some Blake Coleman type qualities.

18. Nashville - C/LW Jiri Kulich -- Preds have gone Russians in the first round the last two years, so maybe they could do it again with Miroshnichenko/Yurov. But Kulich might be the "safer" pick here.

19. Los Angeles - LW Ivan Miroshnichenko -- Kings have a stacked farm, so they would be equipped to take a chance here. Also wouldn't be surprising if LA used this pick to trade for immediate help.

20. Washington - LD Denton Mateychuk -- Assistant GM/former head scout Ross Mahoney based in WHL. Offensive minded D to maybe take over for John Carlson down the line.

21. Pittsburgh - RW Danila Yurov -- Maybe doesn't seem like a typical Hextall/Burke type pick. But more upside than remaining guys. Wouldn't be shocked if they traded down for additional picks (looking in Arizona's general direction).

22. Anaheim (via Boston) - LD Lian Bischel -- Yzerman has been drafting redwoods on defense, so here Verbeek follows his mentor's lead. Not a ton of offensive upside, but they already have Drysdale/Zellweger on the back end.

23. St. Louis - LW Alexander Perevalov -- Not an urgent pick but maybe lacking a scoring wing in the pipeline.

24. Minnesota - RW Jimmy Snuggerud -- "hometown" kid also going to University of Minnesota. Wild could use a RH winger now and down the road.

25. Toronto - RW Filip Mesar -- Similar to them drafting Rodion Amirov over Braden Schneider. They seem to prefer upside over positional need. Maybe another candidate to trade down for more picks.

26. Montreal (via Calgary) - RD Tristan Luneau -- Obligatory QMJHL PR pick to get a cheer from the home crowd.

27. Arizona (via Carolina) - LW Isaac Howard -- undersized but keeps scoring.

28. Buffalo (via Florida) - RD Ryan Chesley -- Gave some thought to them taking him at #16. Seems like a safe RD to complement Dahlin/Power.

tbd. Edmonton - RW Jagger Firkas -- Obligatory Alberta prospect.

tbd. Tampa Bay - RD Seamus Casey -- Definite candidate to trade down but a fun PR story if they took a Florida trained prospect. Undersized offensive minded D.

tbd. Winnipeg (via NY Rangers) - RD Sam Rinzel -- Maybe coincidental with Manitoba sharing a border with Minnesota, but the Jets always seem to have a decent amount of Minnesota guys. Like us, they lack RD prospects in the pipeline.

tbd. Arizona (via Colorado) - LW Liam Ohgren -- Slips a bit, Coyotes throw more talent onto the pile.


2nd Round
--------------
33. Montreal - C/RW Nathan Gaucher -- Another obligatory Quebecois pick. I feel like they would avoid the look of nepotism and pass over GM Kent Hughes' son (the other Jack Hughes).

34. Arizona - C Luca Del Bel Belluz -- Could crack first round but skating looks a bit awkward.

35. Seattle - LW Reid Schaefer -- Obligatory local WHL product.

36. Arizona (via Philadelphia) - RD Maveric Lamoureux -- Bill Armstrong drafted Colton Parayko in St. Louis, so maybe he gets a similar upside guy in Lamoureux?

37. New Jersey - RD Noah Warren -- Had Rinzel here before Winnipeg got an extra pick. Decent skater, but offense probably won't be his calling card. Maybe a Josh Manson type?

I have a sneaking suspicion Philadelphia reaches for Geekie because of his size and position. Or maybe they just take Savoie.

But Id be very surprised if they take a defenseman. Their GM isnt rebuilding hes trying to retool. And he just so happens to be really bad at his job

 

[StevenToddIves]

I usually don't like doing mock drafts before the Conference Finals since the order is still in flux. But now that 1-28 is set in stone, here's my mock up to our 2nd rounder.

1st Round
--------------
1. Montreal - C Shane Wright -- fans attending the draft might make an Eagles/McNabb-esque scene if they didn't pick him.

2. New Jersey - LW Juraj Slafkovsky -- hopefully adds an element that we've been missing up front

3. Arizona - C Logan Cooley -- Scorched Earth rebuild gets a potential #1C prospect

4. Seattle - RD Simon Nemec -- Only one D signed past 2023.

5. Philadelphia - RD David Jiricek -- Maybe need a RD on an ELC with Ellis/Ristolainen signed for six more years.

6. Columbus (via Chicago) - LW/C Cutter Gauthier -- Sorta replaces what they lost in Dubois. Head scout based in Ann Arbor, so some tendency to take USNTDP/UMich players.

7. Ottawa - RW Joakim Kemell -- Wouldn't be surprised if they traded the pick. They reached for a RW last year, here they take a conventional one.

8. Detroit - C/RW Matt Savoie -- Yzerman always zigs when I think he's gonna zag. Savoie has some vague similarities to Brayden Point.

9. Buffalo - C/LW Marco Kasper -- Late riser, maybe lacks top line/PP upside.

10. Anaheim - RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki -- Pat Verbeek's first draft as GM. Ducks seem set down the middle, so they add a winger for Zegras/McTavish.

11. San Jose - LD Kevin Korchinski -- Offensive minded D, replaces Brent Burns in a couple seasons.

12. Columbus - LD Pavel Mintyukov -- Would be more ideal if he were a righty. Played in OHL/Michigan this season, CBJ haven't been afraid to take Russians.

13. NY Islanders - LD Owen Pickering -- Bit of a reach after missing out on the previous two D. Pickering had a big growth spurt, so maybe some additional untapped upside.

14. Winnipeg - C Conor Geekie -- Local product, heavy boots but decent production.

15. Vancouver - RW Brad Lambert -- Could crack the top 10 but could drop even further.

16. Buffalo (via Vegas) - RW Frank Nazar -- Maybe could take a home run swing on one of the Russians instead?

17. Dallas - LW Rutger McGroarty -- USNTDP captain, some Blake Coleman type qualities.

18. Nashville - C/LW Jiri Kulich -- Preds have gone Russians in the first round the last two years, so maybe they could do it again with Miroshnichenko/Yurov. But Kulich might be the "safer" pick here.

19. Los Angeles - LW Ivan Miroshnichenko -- Kings have a stacked farm, so they would be equipped to take a chance here. Also wouldn't be surprising if LA used this pick to trade for immediate help.

20. Washington - LD Denton Mateychuk -- Assistant GM/former head scout Ross Mahoney based in WHL. Offensive minded D to maybe take over for John Carlson down the line.

21. Pittsburgh - RW Danila Yurov -- Maybe doesn't seem like a typical Hextall/Burke type pick. But more upside than remaining guys. Wouldn't be shocked if they traded down for additional picks (looking in Arizona's general direction).

22. Anaheim (via Boston) - LD Lian Bischel -- Yzerman has been drafting redwoods on defense, so here Verbeek follows his mentor's lead. Not a ton of offensive upside, but they already have Drysdale/Zellweger on the back end.

23. St. Louis - LW Alexander Perevalov -- Not an urgent pick but maybe lacking a scoring wing in the pipeline.

24. Minnesota - RW Jimmy Snuggerud -- "hometown" kid also going to University of Minnesota. Wild could use a RH winger now and down the road.

25. Toronto - RW Filip Mesar -- Similar to them drafting Rodion Amirov over Braden Schneider. They seem to prefer upside over positional need. Maybe another candidate to trade down for more picks.

26. Montreal (via Calgary) - RD Tristan Luneau -- Obligatory QMJHL PR pick to get a cheer from the home crowd.

27. Arizona (via Carolina) - LW Isaac Howard -- undersized but keeps scoring.

28. Buffalo (via Florida) - RD Ryan Chesley -- Gave some thought to them taking him at #16. Seems like a safe RD to complement Dahlin/Power.

tbd. Edmonton - RW Jagger Firkas -- Obligatory Alberta prospect.

tbd. Tampa Bay - RD Seamus Casey -- Definite candidate to trade down but a fun PR story if they took a Florida trained prospect. Undersized offensive minded D.

tbd. Winnipeg (via NY Rangers) - RD Sam Rinzel -- Maybe coincidental with Manitoba sharing a border with Minnesota, but the Jets always seem to have a decent amount of Minnesota guys. Like us, they lack RD prospects in the pipeline.

tbd. Arizona (via Colorado) - LW Liam Ohgren -- Slips a bit, Coyotes throw more talent onto the pile.


2nd Round
--------------
33. Montreal - C/RW Nathan Gaucher -- Another obligatory Quebecois pick. I feel like they would avoid the look of nepotism and pass over GM Kent Hughes' son (the other Jack Hughes).

34. Arizona - C Luca Del Bel Belluz -- Could crack first round but skating looks a bit awkward.

35. Seattle - LW Reid Schaefer -- Obligatory local WHL product.

36. Arizona (via Philadelphia) - RD Maveric Lamoureux -- Bill Armstrong drafted Colton Parayko in St. Louis, so maybe he gets a similar upside guy in Lamoureux?

37. New Jersey - RD Noah Warren -- Had Rinzel here before Winnipeg got an extra pick. Decent skater, but offense probably won't be his calling card. Maybe a Josh Manson type?

Great job.

I'd love to see the stat nuts go off on the Devils for taking Slafkovsky and Warren, would be some really funny stuff. Personally, if the draft went this way I'd be tripping over my shoes at #37 to draft Owen Beck or Gleb Trikozov, but that's just me. Hope Warren is still there in the 3rd, and if not just use your next two picks on RDs Barabosha and Mastrodomenico.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I found yet another mock draft with the Devils taking Slafkovsky. I think I've seen 5 and all 5 have Slaf to NJ.

Instant Lottery 2022 Mock Draft

The Montreal Canadiens will pick first on home ice and with the order of the top 16 picks established, our prospect expert starts making selections.

thehockeynews.com

 

[StevenToddIves]

After doing some research around the inter webs, here's a new mini-mock:

1 MTL C Wright
2 NJ L Slafkovsky
3 ARI C Cooley
4 SEA RD Nemec
5 PHI L/C Gauthier
6 CLB RD Jiricek
7 OTT C Geekie
8 DET C Kasper
9 BUF C Savoie
10 ANH R Kemell
11 SJ R/C Nazar
12 CLB R/C Lambert
13 NYI L/R Yurov
14 WPG RD Chesley
15 VAN LD Korchinski
16 BUF RW Lekkerimaki
17 NSH C McGroarty
18 DAL L/C Kulich
19 LAK L Miroshnichenko
20 WSH LD Mintyukov

 

[My3Sons]

After doing some research around the inter webs, here's a new mini-mock:

1 MTL C Wright
2 NJ L Slafkovsky
3 ARI C Cooley
4 SEA RD Nemec
5 PHI L/C Gauthier
6 CLB RD Jiricek
7 OTT C Geekie
8 DET C Kasper
9 BUF C Savoie
10 ANH R Kemell
11 SJ R/C Nazar
12 CLB R/C Lambert
13 NYI L/R Yurov
14 WPG RD Chesley
15 VAN LD Korchinski
16 BUF RW Lekkerimaki
17 NSH C McGroarty
18 DAL L/C Kulich
19 LAK L Miroshnichenko
20 WSH LD Mintyukov

Perevalov at 37?

 

[Nico Hischier]

After doing some research around the inter webs, here's a new mini-mock:

1 MTL C Wright
2 NJ L Slafkovsky
3 ARI C Cooley
4 SEA RD Nemec
5 PHI L/C Gauthier
6 CLB RD Jiricek
7 OTT C Geekie
8 DET C Kasper
9 BUF C Savoie
10 ANH R Kemell
11 SJ R/C Nazar
12 CLB R/C Lambert
13 NYI L/R Yurov
14 WPG RD Chesley
15 VAN LD Korchinski
16 BUF RW Lekkerimaki
17 NSH C McGroarty
18 DAL L/C Kulich
19 LAK L Miroshnichenko
20 WSH LD Mintyukov

If we did that hypothetical trade with Columbus trading 2 for 6 and 12, according to your mock, we would be guaranteed one of jiricek or gauthier at 6 and then one of Lambert yurov or chesley at 12. If drafting slafkovsky is drafting for need then this would be even better addressing our needs in prospects. The way we hype these prospects up makes me want them all. Not sure I’d do that trade tho.

 

[Guadana]

After doing some research around the inter webs, here's a new mini-mock:


5 PHI L/C Gauthier
6 CLB RD Jiricek

Hate it

 

[Guadana]

After doing some research around the inter webs, here's a new mini-mock:

1 MTL C Wright
2 NJ L Slafkovsky
3 ARI C Cooley
4 SEA RD Nemec
5 PHI L/C Gauthier
6 CLB RD Jiricek
7 OTT C Geekie
8 DET C Kasper
9 BUF C Savoie
10 ANH R Kemell
11 SJ R/C Nazar
12 CLB R/C Lambert
13 NYI L/R Yurov
14 WPG RD Chesley
15 VAN LD Korchinski
16 BUF RW Lekkerimaki
17 NSH C McGroarty
18 DAL L/C Kulich
19 LAK L Miroshnichenko
20 WSH LD Mintyukov

I like your top ten and I think it’s very close.

Jusr can’t believe Nazar will not be picked in top ten. You know this stories about poor draft 2022. I like Nazar more than Cooley. I had him as one of the candidates for devils 5th pick. may be after Jiricek, Nemec and Gauthier. But still. I would not cry if we could pick him at five.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Hate it

Haha, me too. But I'm trying to be accurate, here.

 

[Brodeur]

Probably in my next mock, I'll have Seattle drafting Nemec at #4 and trading up to the late first to grab Mesar just for d'awwwws.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Probably in my next mock, I'll have Seattle drafting Nemec at #4 and trading up to the late first to grab Mesar just for d'awwwws.

I'm working out my final 2022 Draft Rankings and right now Mesar looks to crack my top 20 -- and I don't think I'll be alone in my high estimation of the young Slovakian. I've seen him as high as #11 overall (Smaht Scouting). I think you're going to have to trade up pretty high to get him.

Among forwards who have a chance to go top 20, I don't think it's a stretch to say Mesar is the fourth best skater behind only Lambert and Cooley and Kasper. Mesar's offensive skills are very good to excellent across the board, so the only thing which could work against him is that he's a shade on the smaller side at 5'10-175.

But skating is the #1 most important tool for many scouts, so I could see Mesar being higher on many teams' draft boards than guys like Lekkerimaki, McGroarty, Geekie, Savoie, Ohgren, Howard and Gaucher.

Currently my #15-#20 is a scramble between 5 forwards who all offer different and enticing skill sets -- Mesar, McGroarty, Lekkerimaki, Lambert and Geekie. I'll figure it out this week.

 

[Brodeur]

Probably in my next mock, I'll have Seattle drafting Nemec at #4 and trading up to the late first to grab Mesar just for d'awwwws.

My heart was in the right place!