Prospect Info: 2022 Draft Final STI Rankings -- Top 120

[StevenToddIves]

He's got really nice short area agility. He had a play where he pivoted quickly with the puck in the slot and got off a nice shot. It was an impressive skill. He looked like a nice two way center to me. He does have a bit of a cerebral pick his spots vibe, which is a criticism guys like Wright and Nico get, but they are also good at creating offense with their smarts even if they aren't always going 100 mph. He looks like a good player even if not quite as dynamic as McTavish looked to me. if he fell to the third I'd have to consider him strongly unless a better RHD was there.

McTavish is clearly the best prospect on the Hamilton Bulldogs. But I have every confidence that Morrison can make it as a productive offensive and very good defensive middle 6 center at the NHL level.

We also have to factor in that he'll probably be ready to challenge for an NHL gig by 2023-24. And his potential absolutely surpasses Boqvist or McLeod in my book. Therefore, he's just a guy the Devils need to have circled on their draft board.

Were the Devils to get Wright with their #2 pick, I'd have to say the need for Morrison would diminish. But if the Devils get Slafkovsky, depth C is the #2 need after only RD. To be certain, I don't know exactly what I would do if the Devils picked #37 and had a choice between a high-end F or Noah Warren/Sam Rinzel. The need for RD is just monumental. Hopefully, Mr. Fitzgerald has a plan in place with several contingencies.

 

[My3Sons]

McTavish is clearly the best prospect on the Hamilton Bulldogs. But I have every confidence that Morrison can make it as a productive offensive and very good defensive middle 6 center at the NHL level.

We also have to factor in that he'll probably be ready to challenge for an NHL gig by 2023-24. And his potential absolutely surpasses Boqvist or McLeod in my book. Therefore, he's just a guy the Devils need to have circled on their draft board.

Were the Devils to get Wright with their #2 pick, I'd have to say the need for Morrison would diminish. But if the Devils get Slafkovsky, depth C is the #2 need after only RD. To be certain, I don't know exactly what I would do if the Devils picked #37 and had a choice between a high-end F or Noah Warren/Sam Rinzel. The need for RD is just monumental. Hopefully, Mr. Fitzgerald has a plan in place with several contingencies.

If the Mukhamadullin pick is any guide they will just stick to their list. Which is a fair way to decide.

 

[StevenToddIves]

If the Mukhamadullin pick is any guide they will just stick to their list. Which is a fair way to decide.

I don't believe the Mukhamadullin pick was just "sticking to the list". I feel the Devils just really wanted a big defenseman at #20, and Muk was the Devils top-ranked player who fit that description.

Again, Mukhamadullin was not a blown pick by any means, in a 2020 re-draft he likely goes in the 25-32 range. But considering his stock on draft day was mostly going backwards, I feel Fitzgerald would have been better served trading back, gaining assets, and then making the pick. We know in hindsight that Washington was trying to move up to get Hendrix Lapierre, so this is not simply supposition.

I've said before my strategy at #20 would have been to trade back and then draft Brock Faber. Although I am a fan of Mukhamadullin -- and even think he has a shot at the Devils 3LD slot out of camp next year -- Faber is a top 2 RD prospect outside the NHL right now. But again, in hindsight we had no idea we would be lucking into a superstar-caliber LD Luke Hughes at the 2021 draft, so it's easy to just sit here and say what I'm saying.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I just finished adding the McKenzie rankings to my draft resource page. I thought it would be interesting to list my top 3 at every position along with the Bob's list. I think the lists are pretty similar, almost eerily so, except for LD where we greatly diverge.

C
Bob:
1 Wright
2 Cooley
3 Savoie
STI:
1 Wright
2 Cooley
3 Nazar

LW
Bob:
1 Slafkovsky
2 Gauthier
3 Yurov
STI:
1 Slafkovsky
2 Gauthier
3 Yurov

RW
Bob:
1 Kemell
2 Lekkerimaki
3 Lambert
STI:
1 Perevalov
2 Kemell
3 Lambert

LD
Bob:
1 Korchinski
2 Mintyukov
3 Pickering
STI:
1 Mintyukov
2 Mateychuk
3 Koromyslov

RD
Bob:
1 Nemec
2 Jiricek
3 Chesley
STI:
1 Jiricek
2 Nemec
3 Chesley

 

[My3Sons]

I don't believe the Mukhamadullin pick was just "sticking to the list". I feel the Devils just really wanted a big defenseman at #20, and Muk was the Devils top-ranked player who fit that description.

Again, Mukhamadullin was not a blown pick by any means, in a 2020 re-draft he likely goes in the 25-32 range. But considering his stock on draft day was mostly going backwards, I feel Fitzgerald would have been better served trading back, gaining assets, and then making the pick. We know in hindsight that Washington was trying to move up to get Hendrix Lapierre, so this is not simply supposition.

I've said before my strategy at #20 would have been to trade back and then draft Brock Faber. Although I am a fan of Mukhamadullin -- and even think he has a shot at the Devils 3LD slot out of camp next year -- Faber is a top 2 RD prospect outside the NHL right now. But again, in hindsight we had no idea we would be lucking into a superstar-caliber LD Luke Hughes at the 2021 draft, so it's easy to just sit here and say what I'm saying.

Fitz was specifically asked about the Mukhamadullin pick at the time and made a comment about sticking to the list. Now it probably was in connection with defenders and didn’t mean he was their next prospect overall.

 

[Xirik]

I just finished adding the McKenzie rankings to my draft resource page. I thought it would be interesting to list my top 3 at every position along with the Bob's list. I think the lists are pretty similar, almost eerily so, except for LD where we greatly diverge.

C
Bob:
1 Wright
2 Cooley
3 Savoie
STI:
1 Wright
2 Cooley
3 Nazar

LW
Bob:
1 Slafkovsky
2 Gauthier
3 Yurov
STI:
1 Slafkovsky
2 Gauthier
3 Yurov

RW
Bob:
1 Kemell
2 Lekkerimaki
3 Lambert
STI:
1 Perevalov
2 Kemell
3 Lambert

LD
Bob:
1 Korchinski
2 Mintyukov
3 Pickering
STI:
1 Mintyukov
2 Mateychuk
3 Koromyslov

RD
Bob:
1 Nemec
2 Jiricek
3 Chesley
STI:
1 Jiricek
2 Nemec
3 Chesley

Way to Doxx yourself Bob Mckenzie!

 

[My3Sons]

Way to Doxx yourself Bob Mckenzie!

We’re you the one mocking the bad dad jokes about Wright?

 

[StevenToddIves]

Fitz was specifically asked about the Mukhamadullin pick at the time and made a comment about sticking to the list. Now it probably was in connection with defenders and didn’t mean he was their next prospect overall.

I must say that our Russian scouts have been our best scouts over the past few years. Our scouts have blown picks from Central Europe (Baumgartner), USHS (Shlaine), Finland (Salminen) and Sweden (Hurtig) -- but our past three years worth of picks from Russia have all looked outstanding (Bardakov, Gritsyuk, Misyul, Sharangovich).

My personal opinion when trying to figure out Fitzgerald's draft strategy, is that he is involved in earlier picks -- I think his fingerprints are on Holtz, Mercer, Mukhamadullin, Luke Hughes and Stillman -- and thereafter he gives picks to scouts without much cohesion. This is all admittedly speculation, of course, but again, it's difficult to figure how the same group of scouts which gave us later round picks of Bratt and Gritsyuk and Sharangovich is now taking guys whose NHL careers are essentially washed out within months of the pick being made, as with Baumgartner and Hurtig.

Still, the two picks out of Russia over the past two years -- Mukhamadullin and Bardakov -- were both very good. I have a lot of faith in our Russian scouting, and hopefully that will wind up with the Devils getting some late round gems like Barabosha and Neuchev in the 2022 draft.

Just for fun, I'm ranking the picks from the two Fitzgerald drafts and listing their leagues, just to give an idea of what I'm getting at. I''m leaving out the goalies, since goalie scouting is often done by a different group of people altogether.

1 LD Luke Hughes USHL (1st)
2 RW Dawson Mercer QMJHL (1st)
3 RW Alex Holtz SHL (1st)
4 LD Shakir Mukhamadullin KHL (1st)
5 RW Chase Stillman OHL (1st)
6 LD Ethan Edwards AJHL (4th)
7 LD Topias Vilen Finland Liiga (5th)
8 F Zakhar Bardakov KHL (7th)
9 C Jaromir Pytlik OHL (4th)
10 LW Samu Salminen Finland Jr. (3rd)
11 C Artem Shlaine USHS (5th)
12 RD Viktor Hurtig Sweden Jr. (6th)
13 C Benjamin Baumgartner Switzerland Elite League (6th)

Strangely, the Devils did not draft out of Western Canada at all in the past two years, but aside from that we've pretty much reached around everywhere. But looking at this list, I'd say the Russian scouting did great, the USHS scouting did very well -- though that's mostly Luke Hughes who was a pretty obvious pick. The QMJHL had one pick and it was awesome -- Dawson Mercer -- but again that was likely a more collaborative pick because it was so early.

Unfortunately, no other scouting group can say they succeeded. It also bears noting that, in a re-draft for 2020 and 2021, a lot of these picks do not hold up well. Here's another list for those who care:

Hughes: earlier
Mercer: earlier
Holtz: slightly later
Mukhamadullin: slightly later
Stillman: much later
Edwards: about the same
Vilen: about the same
Bardakov: a few rounds earlier
Pytlik: a couple rounds later
Salminen: several rounds later
Shlaine: probably doesn't get drafted
Hurtig: definitely doesn't get drafted
Baumgartner: wouldn't get drafted if the draft was 20 rounds instead of 7

Obviously, some improvements are needed in the drafting process for 2022.

 

[StevenToddIves]

With growing speculation that Seattle might draft Slafkovsky at #1, I wanted to say that depth center is certainly a Devils need and Shane Wright is a tremendous prospect. This would not be a terrible thing, though it would certainly change the Devils draft-day priorities.

All season long, I've highlighted the Devils need for interior forwards for their top 6. Slafkovsky would go a long way to solving this, but there will be some players available in the 2nd round and maybe thereafter who could fill this need.

I'd say if the Devils miss out on Slafkovsky, LW Reid Schaefer would become a huge target for me with the #37 overall pick. His skating needs work, but he's got a rocket shot and is a tremendous defensive forward who is as physical as any forward in the 2022 draft. There is also an outside chance -- remote but possible -- C/RW Nathan Gaucher could fall. He's fast, physical, and can blast the puck.

In the 3rd round, there are some power Fs the Devils could find available, like 6'7 mountain LW Kirill Dolzhenkov, LW Jani Nyman, C Matyas Sapovaliv.

Late round sleeper power Fs include C Brennan Ali, C/RW Daniil Bourosh, LW Parker Bell.

 

[Brodeur]

Bought leg pads from NTDP goalie Dylan Silverstein, so naturally I'm biased for him now. Central has him #3 among North American goalies, but he's small for NHL standards. So I'd expect him to be a later round pick.

 

[My3Sons]

Bought leg pads from NTDP goalie Dylan Silverstein, so naturally I'm biased for him now. Central has him #3 among North American goalies, but he's small for NHL standards. So I'd expect him to be a later round pick.

Why would he be on Facebook Marketplace? He's too good for Craigslist or something?

 

[Brodeur]

2022 Draft — Steven Todd Ives Final Top 120 Rankings

More in-depth write-ups for all of these prospects can be found on this thread: Prospect Info: - Devils HFBoards 2022 Draft Resource, Indexed Profiles A Thru Z

Definitely a different focus than the real draft, but I channeled some of your rankings last night for my 27 team keeper league draft.

I pulled an 89 Lou and traded for a pick last year which became #1 this year. Ended up taking Slafkovsky with the hopes he ends up in red and black. At #23 I took Owen Pickering despite having a couple forwards (Kulich/Ostlund) ranked higher simply because my D is getting long in the tooth (Giordano/Suter/Martinez).

Then the fun began in the 2nd round. Got an offer too good to refuse for Sean Durzi and got back Scott Morrow and #44. I was hoping for Sam Rinzel but he went #41. Ended up taking the home run swing on Alexander Perevalov instead.

At #50 for the lolz, I took Jack Hughes. I think his modest NCAA production as a freshman scared the other stat watchers in my league. Although I maybe should have taken Tristan Luneau for positional need.

At #59 I took my obligatory goalie Topias Leinonen. Don't know a ton about him, just heard that he is raw and had an injury plagued season. Goalies are worth a too much in our league, so figured I'd roll the dice.

At #64 I took Adam Sykora. Figured Slafkovsky could use a Slovak buddy on my imaginary team bus. Actually had Sykora over Leinonen on my personal list but thought Sykora had a better chance at slipping through. Sounded like another team thought about taking Leinonen at #63.

And then finally at #78 I took Logan Morrison. Maybe can get a quicker ROI out of him since he'd be AHL eligible next season.

If Perevalov/Sykora/Morrison pan out, I'll owe you an adult beverage at some point!

 

[StevenToddIves]

Definitely a different focus than the real draft, but I channeled some of your rankings last night for my 27 team keeper league draft.

I pulled an 89 Lou and traded for a pick last year which became #1 this year. Ended up taking Slafkovsky with the hopes he ends up in red and black. At #23 I took Owen Pickering despite having a couple forwards (Kulich/Ostlund) ranked higher simply because my D is getting long in the tooth (Giordano/Suter/Martinez).

Then the fun began in the 2nd round. Got an offer too good to refuse for Sean Durzi and got back Scott Morrow and #44. I was hoping for Sam Rinzel but he went #41. Ended up taking the home run swing on Alexander Perevalov instead.

At #50 for the lolz, I took Jack Hughes. I think his modest NCAA production as a freshman scared the other stat watchers in my league. Although I maybe should have taken Tristan Luneau for positional need.

At #59 I took my obligatory goalie Topias Leinonen. Don't know a ton about him, just heard that he is raw and had an injury plagued season. Goalies are worth a too much in our league, so figured I'd roll the dice.

At #64 I took Adam Sykora. Figured Slafkovsky could use a Slovak buddy on my imaginary team bus. Actually had Sykora over Leinonen on my personal list but thought Sykora had a better chance at slipping through. Sounded like another team thought about taking Leinonen at #63.

And then finally at #78 I took Logan Morrison. Maybe can get a quicker ROI out of him since he'd be AHL eligible next season.

If Perevalov/Sykora/Morrison pan out, I'll owe you an adult beverage at some point!

That's a good draft. I'll warn you to be patient with Pickering -- he's very raw and maybe a half decade from the NHL. This is why I don't consider him a 1st rounder, because when a development arc is that long, there's just too much which can happen. I love picks like Pickering in the later rounds, but he was a high profile player in the CHL and 6'5, so all the hype ensued. Personally, I think Rinzel has more offensive upside.

I think you made up for it with Morrow. He's got top pairing ability, and should be ready by about the time Carolina loses patience with Tony DeAngelo's incessant me-first bulls**t. I think Luneau would have been a better pick than Hughes for fantasy purposes, because he has 40+ point upside and that's not easy to find in fantasy hockey defenders.

Don't sleep on Sykora's offensive upside. He hit double-digits in scoring in a men's league despite playing a largely checking role. The kid is always around the net and has more skill than people (who don't watch Slovak hockey) realize. I think he can be a 2nd line 25+ goal guy.

Perevalov's upside is top 6 NHL scorer, make no mistake. Were he in the CHL, I think he would have topped 70 points. He is elite in all the major offensive categories -- shooting, passing and puckhandling -- while his high IQ and compete make him a good bet to exceed expectation. His skating could use some work.

Morrison might be the sneakiest fantasy pick of all, for deep leagues. I think he's two years away from the NHL, which is tremendous for a later round pick. His two-way acumen will probably see him begin his career in a 3rd line role, but we're talking an elite playmaker with an elite hockey IQ. He could conceivably be a second line NHL center in three years time.

Anyway, you won your draft because Slafkovsky. Nice job.

 

[Brodeur]

Yeah Pickering looks like a project, I think his recent growth spurt made him go from 5'7 to 6'4 in a couple years. Just from watching a couple interviews of him in street clothes, he looks like he could put on another 30 pounds of muscle over the next few years.

If the other Jack Hughes were named Zack Hughes, I probably would have taken Luneau. But I couldn't resist taking Hughes especially since my efforts to get our Jack or Luke have been rebuffed so far. I tried to dangle the #1 pick for Luke plus a late first but the other guy turned it down.

And given the A.D.D. tendencies of our league, I could shop these guys for immediate help in the next couple of years. It was funny since in an ideal world I would have taken a few more D, but ended up using 6 of my 7 picks on non-D.

 

[Brodeur]

Looks like Sykora was the #1 pick in the CHL Import Draft. So maybe we'll see him in the WHL next season.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Looks like Sykora was the #1 pick in the CHL Import Draft. So maybe we'll see him in the WHL next season.

Sykora's going to be a huuuuge fan favorite in Medicine Hat. The kid plays a million miles an hour. I've seen him dive to block shots with a 4 goal lead in the 3rd period. He's insane.

I'm already circling Medicine Hat games on my calendar for next season.

 

[Brodeur]

NHL Draft survey: Scouts, players and staff give opinions on this class

Three different questions for three different groups of people who are involved at three different levels of the 2022 NHL Draft.

theathletic.com

Scott Wheeler got some anonymous quotes from junior coaches/GMs/players about various topics. One response on which opposing player they'd want on their team:

WHL head coach: I’m going to go a little off the board but I think he’s off the radar. Marcus Nguyen. Feisty player. Can score. Provides some offence. He was a thorn in our side throughout the year. He’s a good player.

 

[StevenToddIves]

NHL Draft survey: Scouts, players and staff give opinions on this class

Three different questions for three different groups of people who are involved at three different levels of the 2022 NHL Draft.

theathletic.com

Scott Wheeler got some anonymous quotes from junior coaches/GMs/players about various topics. One response on which opposing player they'd want on their team:

Marcus Nguyen is a player we're not talking about enough, quite frankly. Unless @Guttersniped proves me wrong, I'm pretty certain my #64 ranking of him is the highest one which exists.

When you say: "defensive, checking forward" a lot of people just turn off thinking. But elite players of this variety are at a high premium in the NHL. Look at the trade packages for Blake Coleman and Artturi Lehkonen -- then look what they meant to their teams in their Stanley Cup championship runs. This is the type of potential we're talking about for Marcus Nguyen, and with one of the highest compete levels in the entire 2022 class combined with a lower ceiling, he's got a better chance of reaching his potential than almost anybody in the entire draft.

Now, I'm not saying that makes Nguyen a 1st round pick. But leaving him out of your top 100? This is a near-elite skater who is one of the best defensive forwards in the draft. He's the WHL King of The Takeaway, smart enough to pair opponents into going where he wants and picking pucks off their sticks. He also creates endless turnovers due to his sheer hustle, both on the forecheck and the back-check. I'd also add that Nguyen is one of the very best forecheckers in the entire draft, certainly top 5.

Like Blake Coleman, Nguyen uses his speed and headiness to excel in transition, often driving his line through the neutral zone. Now, Nguyen is never going to score 70+ points at the NHL level -- his passing is efficient and heads-up but basic, and his shot is to be expected from a 5'10-175 defensive specialist. But we're also talking about a sneaky smart kid with a surprisingly soft set of hands who is always crashing the net. Nguyen scored 22 goals last year -- more than a lot of CHL "scoring forwards" who are being talked about as 2nd round picks while Nguyen goes greatly ignored.

Lastly, we need to keep in mind that Nguyen is an August '04, making him one of the youngest players available for the 2022 draft. You want an impressive draft-day stat no one is talking about enough? How about 22 goals for a 17 year old with zero power play time used in an exclusively defensive role by the Portland Winterhawks. That is very, very impressive and cannot be understated.

Again, I'm not saying draft Nguyen in the 2nd round, but this is a kid I'd say who has a 90% chance of lasting into the 4th round and a very good chance of falling even later. He'd make an absolute steal of a pick anywhere in that range. Just a heck of a hockey player.

 

[StevenToddIves]

NHL Draft survey: Scouts, players and staff give opinions on this class

Three different questions for three different groups of people who are involved at three different levels of the 2022 NHL Draft.

theathletic.com

Scott Wheeler got some anonymous quotes from junior coaches/GMs/players about various topics. One response on which opposing player they'd want on their team:

Here's another write up of Marcus Nguyen by the only guy out there who seems to value him to the same degree I do, Matthew Somma at Smaht Scouting. This is really great stuff, and worth reading.

Scouting Report: Marcus Nguyen - Smaht Scouting

Smaht Scouting's Matthew Somma takes an in-depth look at 2022 NHL Draft prospect Marcus Nguyen (RW, Portland).

smahtscouting.com

 

[StevenToddIves]

Nice piece on Frank Nazar, who is being sorely under-ranked by the consensus. With the US-NTDP centers, I have him about even with Logan Cooley, but @Guadana has Nazar higher than Cooley.

Nazar leaned on Kesler to navigate draft-year adversity - TSN.ca

Frank Nazar feels underrated among this year's National Hockey League draft class and he thinks he knows why. Nazar came in No. 15 on the final list of prospects compiled by TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie after playing through injuries this season.

www.tsn.ca

 

[devilsblood]

Yeah Pickering looks like a project, I think his recent growth spurt made him go from 5'7 to 6'4 in a couple years. Just from watching a couple interviews of him in street clothes, he looks like he could put on another 30 pounds of muscle over the next few years.

If the other Jack Hughes were named Zack Hughes, I probably would have taken Luneau. But I couldn't resist taking Hughes especially since my efforts to get our Jack or Luke have been rebuffed so far. I tried to dangle the #1 pick for Luke plus a late first but the other guy turned it down.

And given the A.D.D. tendencies of our league, I could shop these guys for immediate help in the next couple of years. It was funny since in an ideal world I would have taken a few more D, but ended up using 6 of my 7 picks on non-D.

I just watched his interview with Hradek on NHL network. Definitely skinny, especially in the arms. But that signals potential upside imo.

And I thought he was a really good interview. Broke down the technicals of his game really well, and in general was relaxed and thoughtful.

Though I have little interest in a LHD in the early rounds, and it's my preference that we draft zero lhd's overall. Unless the player is far and away BPA, I'm selecting another position.

 

[devilsblood]

Marcus Nguyen is a player we're not talking about enough, quite frankly. Unless @Guttersniped proves me wrong, I'm pretty certain my #64 ranking of him is the highest one which exists.

When you say: "defensive, checking forward" a lot of people just turn off thinking. But elite players of this variety are at a high premium in the NHL. Look at the trade packages for Blake Coleman and Artturi Lehkonen -- then look what they meant to their teams in their Stanley Cup championship runs. This is the type of potential we're talking about for Marcus Nguyen, and with one of the highest compete levels in the entire 2022 class combined with a lower ceiling, he's got a better chance of reaching his potential than almost anybody in the entire draft.

Now, I'm not saying that makes Nguyen a 1st round pick. But leaving him out of your top 100? This is a near-elite skater who is one of the best defensive forwards in the draft. He's the WHL King of The Takeaway, smart enough to pair opponents into going where he wants and picking pucks off their sticks. He also creates endless turnovers due to his sheer hustle, both on the forecheck and the back-check. I'd also add that Nguyen is one of the very best forecheckers in the entire draft, certainly top 5.

Like Blake Coleman, Nguyen uses his speed and headiness to excel in transition, often driving his line through the neutral zone. Now, Nguyen is never going to score 70+ points at the NHL level -- his passing is efficient and heads-up but basic, and his shot is to be expected from a 5'10-175 defensive specialist. But we're also talking about a sneaky smart kid with a surprisingly soft set of hands who is always crashing the net. Nguyen scored 22 goals last year -- more than a lot of CHL "scoring forwards" who are being talked about as 2nd round picks while Nguyen goes greatly ignored.

Lastly, we need to keep in mind that Nguyen is an August '04, making him one of the youngest players available for the 2022 draft. You want an impressive draft-day stat no one is talking about enough? How about 22 goals for a 17 year old with zero power play time used in an exclusively defensive role by the Portland Winterhawks. That is very, very impressive and cannot be understated.

Again, I'm not saying draft Nguyen in the 2nd round, but this is a kid I'd say who has a 90% chance of lasting into the 4th round and a very good chance of falling even later. He'd make an absolute steal of a pick anywhere in that range. Just a heck of a hockey player.

The goal heavy split is a good sign, especially if he is playing a defensive role with other defensive players. Though I'd want to check his goals and his shooting% to see if he has actual goal scoring ability or was he just on a hot run.

 

[StevenToddIves]

The goal heavy split is a good sign, especially if he is playing a defensive role with other defensive players. Though I'd want to check his goals and his shooting% to see if he has actual goal scoring ability or was he just on a hot run.

I've watched Nguyen a bunch. His goal scoring ability is mostly based on a very good set of hands, outstanding wheels and a knack for driving to the net and competing in the high-danger areas.

With Nguyen, the scoring pop is more of a bonus than why you're drafting him, as he's a fast & furious forechecker who is among the best defensive forwards in the draft. He's going to be a demon on the PK. And again, this is not a kid you're taking before the 4th round, and possibly even later. As such, he's one of the highest-value potential sleepers for late in the 2022 draft class.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I just watched his interview with Hradek on NHL network. Definitely skinny, especially in the arms. But that signals potential upside imo.

And I thought he was a really good interview. Broke down the technicals of his game really well, and in general was relaxed and thoughtful.

Though I have little interest in a LHD in the early rounds, and it's my preference that we draft zero lhd's overall. Unless the player is far and away BPA, I'm selecting another positions.

Pickering is a very intriguing prospect. In some ways, I'd say he's a left-shot version of Sam Rinzel -- a long development arc ahead of him, but a ton of potential reward to match the obvious risk of drafting a player who is a half-decade away.

As his growth spurt was incredibly late and dramatic (5'7 to 6'4 in two years and still growing apparently), we really have only a small idea of what Pickering will become as he fills out his frame. As such, even if the Devils were looking for LD I'd be a bit cautious of using a 1st round selection here.

Pickering is one of those players who it is very difficult to assess. If I had ti bet my life savings on a 1st round pick who could miss the NHL entirely, he'd be in the conversation. But at the same time, he's one of those kids with home run upside who could be drafted in the late 20s and turn into a top-pairing stud at the NHL level. Neither outcome would entirely shock me, although obviously the most likely outcome is somewhere in the middle.

 

[devilsblood]

I've watched Nguyen a bunch. His goal scoring ability is mostly based on a very good set of hands, outstanding wheels and a knack for driving to the net and competing in the high-danger areas.

With Nguyen, the scoring pop is more of a bonus than why you're drafting him, as he's a fast & furious forechecker who is among the best defensive forwards in the draft. He's going to be a demon on the PK. And again, this is not a kid you're taking before the 4th round, and possibly even later. As such, he's one of the highest-value potential sleepers for late in the 2022 draft class.

But the goal scoring is what will really determine how good a pick he turns out to be.

You mention Coleman, and he is absolutely an excellent defensive fwd, But he's not being traded for a 1st rounder if he wasn't scoring 20+ goals in back to back seasons. Similar for Lehkonen, a consistent double digit goal scorer.

Both guys have good shot rates in the NHL as well. And that would be an important stat for Nguyen,