Prospect Info: 2022 Draft Prospects, Part II

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Devil made me do it

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I wish there were better right handed defensemen in this draft. It's the team's most immediate need and I just don't see much with either Nemec or Jiricek.
You have to get the best value and Kemell is that guy. He can be used as a bargaining chip to later be traded for a stud right handed defenseman currently in the league. So far the team has made all the right moves. I would be open to trading the pick for a right handed prospect to a team that needs offense.
Who is the best possible trade candidate?
 

StevenToddIves

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I wish there were better right handed defensemen in this draft. It's the team's most immediate need and I just don't see much with either Nemec or Jiricek.
You have to get the best value and Kemell is that guy. He can be used as a bargaining chip to later be traded for a stud right handed defenseman currently in the league. So far the team has made all the right moves. I would be open to trading the pick for a right handed prospect to a team that needs offense.
Who is the best possible trade candidate?
I'd actually say, despite being a generally so-so draft class, the highlight of the 2022 class is a relative strength at RD. Jiricek and Nemec are easily the best pair of RD available in years. Both are excellent two-ways with room to grow, both are advanced for their age with discernible upside. In the next tier I'd have Ryan Chesley, who is phenomenal defensively with some sneaky offensive ability and a bomb of a shot. Then there are a host of other intriguing talents who can make the first round, such as Lamoureux, Casey, Luneau and Rinzel.

While 2022 is generally weak in a few positions, notably LD and G, RD might be the biggest relative strength for the class, especially at the top.

So, I'm kind of curious where this opinion was cultivated. I like Kemell and have said so at length, but he's in my #7-#10 overall range right now and I don't think he's easily the best pure goal-scorer in the draft, as some have intimated. To me, that might be Cutter Gauthier, who I would certainly take over Kemell and would make a great deal of sense for the NJ Devils.

With players like Jiricek, Nemec or Gauthier -- these are precisely the types of players the Devils need, and as such there's no way I would look to trade them. The Devils have no player like Jiricek in the pros or prospects, they have no player like Gauthier. Though Nemec is not necessarily unique in his "play style", he's an all-situations, high-minutes RD who excels on both sides of the puck and this is not something the Devils have in a prospect pool with just two players, the good-offensively-but-weak-in-his-own-zone Reilly Walsh and the solid-stay-at-home Case McCarthy.
 

Devil made me do it

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I like Gauthier's tape and his production is tremendous but why are most experts rating him so low? McKenzie has him as the 13th best prospect and Button has him at 22nd. Of all the draft experts out there not a single one sees Gauthier as a Top 10 pick. That counts for something.
I would say a guy like Slafkovsky would be a better fit for the team. He is huge with great hands and so agressive around the net. He could be our Dave Andreychuck.
 

FooteBahl

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@StevenToddIves off topic, but can you assess the development of Foote? Are you disappointed with his progress or do you think he’s where he should be at this point? I’m just asking because he was a first rounder and someone of his size is what we need to balance out the big club. TIA!
 
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StevenToddIves

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I like Gauthier's tape and his production is tremendous but why are most experts rating him so low? McKenzie has him as the 13th best prospect and Button has him at 22nd. Of all the draft experts out there not a single one sees Gauthier as a Top 10 pick. That counts for something.
I would say a guy like Slafkovsky would be a better fit for the team. He is huge with great hands and so agressive around the net. He could be our Dave Andreychuck.
Haha, you might be a bit late to the party here, because these guys have been discussed at length on the Devils draft threads.

1) Slafkovsky -- of course the Devils will draft him if he's there, but the problem here is you're going to need a top 3 pick to get him, and perhaps even top 2. He's not an Andreychuk -- and believe me I loved Andreychuk. Andreychuk was the all-time best as parking his ass in front of the net and I've never seen anyone better at deflections except maybe Pavelski or at hunting rebounds except maybe Keith Tkachuk. But Slafkovsky is not this -- he's a play driver who wants the puck on his stick, but he also has a terrific interior game. He's a stud -- a 6'4 bruiser with elite playmaking skills. So, the Devils are going to have to win a lottery spot to get him.

2) Gauthier -- I'm not sure where you're looking, but he is in several top 10s. Steve Kournianos, Craig Button and myself all have him ranked at either 6th or 7th overall. Maybe you missed Button's new rankings, where Gauthier really shot up. I've been talking about him all year and other people are beginning to notice that he's not just the best physical forward in the draft, but he's also the best goal-scorer on a stacked US-NTDP, and in the conversation for the best goal-scorer in the entire 2022 class.

Both of these forwards represent precisely what the Devils need and exactly what Fitzgerald was trying to accomplish when he reached a bit for Chase Stillman at 29th overall in last year's draft. However, we need to keep in mind the high odds that Slafkovsky will be gone by the time the Devils draft, and also the high odds that the Devils will take one of the Big 2 RD in Jiricek or Nemec. Still, Fitzgerald's general demeanor and the Stillman pick give me great hope that Gauthier is going to be a strong consideration for the Devils, as well.
 

StevenToddIves

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@StevenToddIves off topic, but can you assess the development of Foote? Are you disappointed with his progress or do you think he’s where he should be at this point? I’m just asking because he was a first rounder and someone of his size is what we need to balance out the big club. TIA!
To be honest, I only watch AHL here and there because I concentrate most of my "hockey time" on the draft and the NHL. You might want to ask @Tao Jersey Jones -- who is our resident expert for all things Devils Prospects and an invaluable resource for our Devils Boards. He's terrific.

I can tell you that power forwards often take awhile to develop, and Foote's skating is never going to be a particular strength. I think he's a middle 6 guy more than a top 6 guy. But he has a sick shot and a nice interior game, and I do think he will challenge for the pro roster next year, along with Zetterlund and Thompson. His upside is a good interior player with 20+ goal upside, and that's perfectly fine, but you're going to need to put him alongside line-driver types to get him there.
 
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StevenToddIves

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2022 Draft Profile:

C Topi Ronni, Tappara U20 Finland Jr.

As a true center with size in good skating, your path to the NHL is pretty clear if you can simply play a good 200-foot game and show some semblance of offensive ability. As such, Ronni is not the sexiest draft pick in the land, but he's a pretty sure bet to be gone by the end of the 3rd round, where he's typically ranked. He's playing at exactly a PPG pace in the Finnish juniors, so he's not tearing it up, but he produces. He's relied on by his coaches for big minutes in all situations. He's a projectable 6'1-175 with good skating. Yep, he'll be drafted all right.

Watching Ronni, he just goes out there and gets the job done. His compete level is fine and consistent, but he plays more of a calm, controlled style than anything else. He makes good decisions and shows smarts, but he's not out there on some other brainwave level making his opposition look stupid. I'd say his strongest asset is his playmaking -- he's an efficient, accurate passer who shows decent creativity and vision in space. His skating is good, but again he doesn't blow you away with this tool. Ronni is a pretty good puck handler and a pretty good shooter. He's an effective body in the defensive zone, and while he doesn't drive transition, he certainly contributes to it.

Everything about Topi Ronni says "professional center". It doesn't scream it, it just sort of taps you on the shoulder and whispers it in your ear. I'd say he has a low ceiling as a 3rd line NHL center with 30-40 point, two-way ability, and a very high floor as a 4th line pivot. This represents a very safe pick in the 3rd round at a very crucial position which every team in the NHL always seeks bodies to fill. I might sound like I'm unenthusiastic about Ronni, but I realize his value and like him as a player. He's certainly going to see his name in my final top 100, and he's without a doubt a smart pick as soon as the 3rd round begins.
 
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StevenToddIves

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2022 Draft Profile:

LD Tomas Hamara, Tappara Finland

A lot of "old school" draft writers like myself often lament the over-reliance of statistical analysis with draft-eligible prospects. But if I were a GM, I'd love it. Because potential high end offensive players are often completely overlooked due to the fact they are playing at a higher level than they are ready for, and their numbers do not represent their potential. Tomas Hamara is a perfect example of this. The Prague-native is playing in a nation where he barely speaks the language and is one of the 3 youngest D in the league, so he is quite often completely overlooked due to the resulting stat line of 2 points in 24 Liiga games. But if you watch him closely, you'll see a 6'0-185 kid who skates like the wind and offers premium playmaking abilities. As such, we have a prospect with a mid-pairing, high-production NHL ceiling who could be available as late as the 3rd or even 4th round of the 2022 draft.

When speaking of Hamara's strengths, his skating jumps off the page. He can absolutely fly, and he uses his speed very well. In the Finnish men's league, he's been a bit more reticent in transition, but when I watched him earlier in the year in the Finnish U20, he was constantly leading transition himself. With his speed and ability to find the open man and thread the needle, this kid was an absolute beast in transition against players his own age, though he has some difficulty playing at a level he may not be ready for. The same would go for his offensive activation -- in the U20 he was toying with opponents from his own blueline, often zipping around them with possession and always activating to create and sustain offensive play. In the men's league? Again, he often plays as if worried he will make a mistake. Still, we see flashes of his high end skating and playmaking ability, and I'd also say he has a pretty good shot, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it a weapon.

Hamara has a lot to work on defensively, especially at the level he's at now which, again, is probably above his head for the time being. He can get lost in the cycle, and he can be outmuscled by larger men a dozen years older. Even in the U20, this was an area where he needed work, and Hamara's defensive development will define his future in the NHL. I feel the effort and the intelligence are there, though there's a certain anxiousness he can show under pressure, fumbling pucks and turnovers, which are certainly concerns.

I like Hamara's upside and I'm not alone. The McKenzie 10-scout poll has the young Czech offensive defenseman as a late 2nd round pick, as does a very good scouting bureau in FC Hockey. I think he probably falls to the 3rd, but he's a good pick there for a team looking for guys who can generate offense from the blueline. Hamara probably moved to Finland because the Czech leagues stress defensive responsibility, and he realizes his best talents are on the offensive side of the puck. However, he's playing in a men's league I don't feel he's ready for, which clouds his true potential to the point where we might have a very good prospect on our hands who is being overlooked. Tomas Hamara is a potential sleeper for the 2022, but not one who is without some risk.
 

StevenToddIves

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2022 Draft Profile:

LW Jani Nyman, Ilves Finland

There is no shortage of power/interior forwards for the top two rounds of the 2022 draft, and Jani Nyman is a terrific example. He's bounced around a bit, so we've gotten to watch him in a league he's too good for (Finnish U20), a minor men's league he starred in (Mestis), and a major men's league he's not quite ready for a top 6 role in (Liiga). What impresses me the most is the versatility he's displayed through this -- he was the go-to power forward in the two lower leagues, but was moved to a 4th line role in Liiga and displayed premium effectiveness in that role, as well. Nyman's ceiling is as a 2nd-line power forward who can score, but he's also a heavy-hitting crease-crasher who can thrive in an NHL bottom 6 even if his scoring does not develop the way we hope.

Nyman is a big kid at 6'3-210 and, with a July 30 birthdate, he's still decidedly on the younger side for a 2022 draft-eligible. He knows how to throw his ridiculous strength around. Nyman is a ferocious forechecker who punishes opposing defensemen with regularity and without mercy. In his short stint in the U20, we would often see defensemen blindly flinging pucks away because they were, quite frankly, terrified by the prospect of being pasted into the glass by this kid. Once his team gains possession, Nyman's general role to to crash the net, where he is a beast at screening goaltenders and banging home rebounds and loose pucks.

Breaking down the skill set, we can see a kid who is not just power, but a intricate player with room to grow. His skating is neither a strength nor weakness, as he's one of those "skates well for his size" types who lack open ice high-end speed and high-end agility, but can skate well and is extremely strong on his skates. His awareness and compete level both grade as good to very good, which play up his two plus skills of shooting an puck handling. Nyman has a heavy shot which can beat a goaltender from outside the circles, which is not surprising for a player of his enormous strength. His hands are indeed surprising -- this is a kid who can really dangle. His puck-moves can dazzle, and the hands also improve his ability to deflect shots on net while he is screening the goaltender and battling checks. I'd say this combination gives him 20+ and maybe 25+ goal upside in an ideal scenario. But again, even if he does not reach those peaks, he's a beast for your bottom 6.

Nyman has a great deal to work on, particularly his defensive game and overall positioning. However, he's a hard working kid on the ice who shows some nice smarts and anticipation, so I'm keeping the faith. Nyman's consensus ranking is around the mid-second round, with a high ranking of #40 (Draft Prospects Hockey) and a low ranking of #68 (The Puck Authority -- a generally clueless bureau which seems to grade down for physicality). In my initial rankings, I had Nyman at the very end of my 1st round, #32 overall. I'm not sure he has yet displayed the offensive chops to stay in my 1st rankings, but he won't fall past the first few picks of the 2nd round. This is a very physical, high floor prospect who is the type of interior player you want on your side in the post-season, and as such I'm extremely high on his future.
 

Buck Dancer

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Nemec is playing in his team's 1st playoff game today IINM and should be logging like 23 to 25 in this one. If I knew how to watch this game, I would.
 
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Captain3rdLine

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I like Gauthier's tape and his production is tremendous but why are most experts rating him so low? McKenzie has him as the 13th best prospect and Button has him at 22nd. Of all the draft experts out there not a single one sees Gauthier as a Top 10 pick. That counts for something.
I would say a guy like Slafkovsky would be a better fit for the team. He is huge with great hands and so agressive around the net. He could be our Dave Andreychuck.
I’m not as high on him as STI and some others on here. To me he’s a big body, smooth skater and puck handler, with a really heavy shot who, can throw big hits and be physically dominant when he wants to be.

The biggest reasons why I probably wouldn’t like us taking him the top 10:
- I think his offensive skillset is pretty good but not great
-he doesn’t consistently play with max effort
- spends a decent amount of his time just floating around not being an impactful player every shift
-doesn’t always make quick decisions and sometimes just throws pucks just hoping they’ll find someone (both of these things result in turnovers)

Basically it mostly just comes down to me not thinking is offensive potential is high enough for a top 10 pick and him having some consistency issues and not bringing it and competing every shift. At his best he can be a physically dominant player who can score. However he doesn’t always get that engaged physically even and seems like a passenger at times.
 

Buck Dancer

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I’m not as high on him as STI and some others on here. To me he’s a big body, smooth skater and puck handler, with a really heavy shot who, can throw big hits and be physically dominant when he wants to be.

The biggest reasons why I probably wouldn’t like us taking him the top 10:
- I think his offensive skillset is pretty good but not great
-he doesn’t consistently play with max effort
- spends a decent amount of his time just floating around not being an impactful player every shift
-doesn’t always make quick decisions and sometimes just throws pucks just hoping they’ll find someone (both of these things result in turnovers)

Basically it mostly just comes down to me not thinking is offensive potential is high enough for a top 10 pick and him having some consistency issues and not bringing it and competing every shift. At his best he can be a physically dominant player who can score. However he doesn’t always get that engaged physically even and seems like a passenger at times.
Not to discredit your POV but @StevenToddIves #1 criteria when evaluating a prospect is compete level followed super closely by hockey IQ.

I doubt very much that Cutter Gauthier is lacking in the compete level department or else he wouldn’t have him as high as he does but I might be wrong here.

I personally haven’t watched enough tape on Gauthier to say who’s wrong and who’s not. What I do know is that he’s filling up the net and likes to run over people, which are two great qualities to have in a power forward. If his compete level isn’t one of his main traits, than I wouldn’t consider him in my top #10 but something tells me he doesn’t have that problem based on STI’s #1 criteria.
 

Captain3rdLine

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Not to discredit your POV but @StevenToddIves #1 criteria when evaluating a prospect is compete level followed super closely by hockey IQ.

I doubt very much that Cutter Gauthier is lacking in the compete level department or else he wouldn’t have him as high as he does but I might be wrong here.

I personally haven’t watched enough tape on Gauthier to say who’s wrong and who’s not. What I do know is that he’s filling up the net and likes to run over people, which are two great qualities to have in a power forward. If his compete level isn’t one of his main traits, than I wouldn’t consider him in my top #10 but something tells me he doesn’t have that problem based on STI’s #1 criteria.
He runs people over when he gets a chance but doesn’t play with with intensity and compete every time he is on the ice. It’s not really that he doesn’t compete it’s more so that there’s shifts where he’s kind of just gliding around and not really getting very involved in the play or battles.

I’m also not the only person to see this. If you look at some scouting profiles on him you’ll see his shift-to-shift consistency and intensity mentioned as something to improve on.

Here’s a video on YouTube showing all of his shifts in a game against a USHL team. Look for yourself but in this particular game I think there’s quite a few examples of what I’m talking about. That being said he has games that look much better than that in terms of how he plays shift-by-shift but that’s why I’m talking about consistency. He’s also a very poised player so it often doesn’t look like he’s working that hard but he crosses that line from calm and poised to almost lackadaisical to often IMO.

 
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Buck Dancer

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Nemec with his 1st career playoff goal today. A nice snap shot from the slot from Simon.

He now has the same number of goals during the regular season that he does during the playoffs.
 
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StevenToddIves

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Not to discredit your POV but @StevenToddIves #1 criteria when evaluating a prospect is compete level followed super closely by hockey IQ.

I doubt very much that Cutter Gauthier is lacking in the compete level department or else he wouldn’t have him as high as he does but I might be wrong here.

I personally haven’t watched enough tape on Gauthier to say who’s wrong and who’s not. What I do know is that he’s filling up the net and likes to run over people, which are two great qualities to have in a power forward. If his compete level isn’t one of his main traits, than I wouldn’t consider him in my top #10 but something tells me he doesn’t have that problem based on STI’s #1 criteria.
As compete level and hockey IQ are the most, shall we say, subjective tools of player analysis, I feel that @Captain3rdLine has every right to scrutinize Gauthier's if he feels Gauthier doesn't put in the maximum effort every single shift. It's not as if he's saying "Gauthier is lazy" or something -- he cited a particular area of Cutter's game where he feels the compete can be higher, and although I'm not sure I agree, I think that's fair. My opinion is not the only one we should be listening to.

We can contrast this to what I would consider "slandering" a player, like when a couple of posters in 2019 were writing (at length!) that Jack Hughes was not a particularly good skater. This was not subjective or constructive, we could all see it was a flat out falsehood.

Personally, I would rank Gauthier's compete as very good, though he is higher-compete in "battle situations" than he is in support situations, which I think is the point which @Captain3rdLine was trying to make. However, he's also scored 18 goals in his last 18 games, and he's the guy the US-NTDP coaches use as the "get a line going" guy -- I'd say both Nazar and Cooley have looked their best with Gauthier on their line -- so I'm sticking with Gauthier in my top 7.
 

StevenToddIves

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He runs people over when he gets a chance but doesn’t play with with intensity and compete every time he is on the ice. It’s not really that he doesn’t compete it’s more so that there’s shifts where he’s kind of just gliding around and not really getting very involved in the play or battles.

I’m also not the only person to see this. If you look at some scouting profiles on him you’ll see his shift-to-shift consistency and intensity mentioned as something to improve on.

Here’s a video on YouTube showing all of his shifts in a game against a USHL team. Look for yourself but in this particular game I think there’s quite a few examples of what I’m talking about. That being said he has games that look much better than that in terms of how he plays shift-by-shift but that’s why I’m talking about consistency. He’s also a very poised player so it often doesn’t look like he’s working that hard but he crosses that line from calm and poised to almost lackadaisical to often IMO.


Thanks for the video, and thanks for your input.

I think all of us learn more about all the players when knowledgable people debate their strengths and areas of needed improvement. So, I'd love to hear your mind-set if there's a prospect you like more or less than I do for whatever reasoning.
 
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StevenToddIves

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2022 Draft Profile:

RD Kasper Kulonummi, Jokerit U20 Finland Jr.

Kasper Kulonummi is the consummate jack of all trades, master of none. This makes him both difficult to pinpoint for draft day and also difficult to easily define as a player. He's productive offensively, but not a big-chance taker or prototypical offensive defenseman. He's steady defensively, but not really physical or shut-down in that capacity. He's just an all-around solid kid with the ability to play in any role or situation. His coaches count on him for heavy, varietal minutes and have given him the responsibility of an 'A' on his jersey. He's produced quite well for a defenseman, with 29 points in 40 U20 games.

Kulonummi is neither big nor small at 6'0-175. He's a pretty good skater, but I would not call him exceptional in any respect of speed, balance more agility. Everything across the skill-board comes with a check for Kulonummi, but nothing gets a "plus". His finest assets are his calm with the puck and intelligence; Kulonummi plays a cool, composed game at both ends. If Kulonummi has a weakness its his shot, which lacks any discernible juice behind it and is easily reacted to by opposing netminders.

I'd say Kulonummi is advanced in terms of awareness and positioning in all three zones. He's kind of a coaches dream in that you just plug him out there and he does his job pretty quietly. If his ceiling is as a 3rd pairing defender at the NHL level, he is easily projectable as a very good one who does not make mistakes and efficiently keeps the puck going in the right direction. Though it's not "sexy", there is nothing wrong with this type of player.

I'd say Kulonummi's consensus ranking is anywhere from the mid-3rd round to the 5th round. If he slips past the 4th, he's a very good pick, as every team is always needing RD, perhaps more than any other skating position. Kasper Kulonummi is good at hockey, and there's no reason to think he will not get better.
 

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2022 Draft Profile:

C Otto Hokkanen, SaiPa Finland

Otto Hokkanen is one of those centers who consistently takes care of his two-game, but because he is good in that role and utilized primarily as a defensive center, it becomes tough to gauge his offensive upside. He offers very good size at 6'2-185 and his skating is above-average, if nothing special. But again, he's a big center, so we can expect to hear his name called on draft day despite a lack of any offensive statistics or pre-draft hype from any of the major writers or bureaus.

Hokkanen is almost incessantly steady both positionally and defensively. He plays more of a cerebral style of defense than a physical/high-compete one, and I feel this hurts him in terms of accruing any attention. He's got a big body and he's very strong, and as a defense-first player you'd like to see him throw his weight around with some more sandpaper in his game. I'm not sure this can be instilled, because he's just a very calm kid on the ice. Still, he's an effective defensive presence against centers a decade older and more experienced, and we have to give him due credit for this.

Hokkanen's offensive skills are, as mentioned, tough to assess. He seems to have pretty good puck-handling and passing skills, but he's not very aggressive on the offensive side of the puck and always thinking about his 200-foot responsibilities first. He also has weaknesses, as he's a bit overmatched in the face-off circle against older players and really lacks much of a shot, especially for a kid of his size.

Overall, I think we have a player who can make the NHL as a 4th line center and, if his offense develops and he can up his skating and physicality a notch, perhaps a 3rd liner. His defensive game and size certainly give Hokkanen a pretty steady floor. He's been ignored on draft boards, but I certainly see him as a pretty good 6th/7th round pick, because Hokkanen is a big center and a very good one defensively.
 

Rydev

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Saying a player 'doesnt bring it every shift' or vice-versa 'brings it every shift' is sort of misleading because the variance between the two is so small. I use the terms myself so Im not privy to a better way to word it yet

But guys like Dawson Mercer are just averaging a slightly higher and consistent pace - I dont think its an inherently better trait then, say, a Jack Hughes who can be seen coasting when hes not absolutely exploding up the ice.

I think it makes life easier for guys who arent as talented and are trying to make the league; but come playoff time Im willing to bet the variance is as small as it can get, between the highest competitors and the guys who usually take off games during the regular season

I think it more closely ties to the persons mental and how they approach/respond to things moreso than it is a 'will' to compete that others are discredited as not having.
 

StevenToddIves

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2022 Draft Profile:

LD Elmeri Laakso, SaiPa Finland

Laakso is the penultimate "I wish he were a better skater" defenseman. He's smart, competitive and good two-ways. He offers a very solid all-around skill-set and decent size at 6'1-185. His offensive game is smart and he's terrific in transition with an outstanding first-pass and commendable decision-making, especially for a teenager playing in a men's league. His defensive game is gritty and savvy and he's excellent in every type of battle. This is a very good hockey player.

Unfortunately, the NHL is an extremely fast league, and Laakso's skating is even an issue in the Finland men's league, which plays far slower. Quite simply, he's a below average skater, and there's no need to pick this tool apart and pick on Laakso. Because again, he's a very good hockey player with all the intangibles you can ask for.

I'm writing up Laakso because he deserves due credit and draft-day attention simply because he is one of the two 2022 draft eligible defensemen skating with a regular role in the Finnish men's league (also Tomas Hamara). As such, Laakso deserves credit for being a player who is good two ways, smart and competitive, with a fully stocked tool kit aside from the one major detriment.

Laakso might be worth a flyer in the 7th round. If he can improve his skating to average for his age group -- which is a big IF -- there is certainly potential here. But there's a lot of work to do in this respect. He's a player I like, and anyone who appreciates hockey would like, but not necessarily one you would draft.
 

StevenToddIves

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2022 Draft Profile:

LW Colton Smith, London OHL

Though destined to be a divisive prospect due to his play style, Colton Smith has the potential of a true draft day sleeper due to the fact many modern scouting bureaus and draft writers specifically and purposefully ignore players of his particular play style. And when describing Smith's play style, we can probably sum it up in one, single word: MEAN.

The Hershey, PA native is 6'2-210 and possesses extraordinary physical strength. It is safe to say he is well aware of this attribute, as he basically plays the game like a bully on skates. Smith hits anything that moves in the opposing jersey, and he hits it hard. If one of his teammates takes a hard check, Smith is out on the next shift trying to plaster the offender into next week. He is incredibly tough, and this is also how he affects the game offensively. Smith's finest attributes in the scoring sense are that he is an immovable object in front of opposing nets, and he is one of the best in the OHL at screening goalies and banging home rebounds or scoring off greasy, net-front scrums. If there's any battle where the winner is determined by strength, Smith is going to come out on top of that particular battle.

Where Smith becomes intriguing is when we look at the surrounding tools in his game and realize they're actually pretty good. His skating is average and his puck skills need work, but he's actually a pretty nifty passer and his shot is heavy and accurate. His go to move with the puck, like many youngsters gifted with size and strength, is to shield the puck with his body and hold it out, as if playing "keep away" with a smaller kid. The problem with this move is, unless you are an elite level hands/vision guy like a Juraj Slafkovsky, it usually leaves the puck so far away from your own body that it takes several precious moments to reel it back in for a pass or shot when that opportunity arises. Smith has trouble creating, and the London coaching seems to prefer him to just crash the crease and let the other 4 Knights skaters do the heavy thinking. But again, Smith is terrific at crease-crashing, and this is an increasingly rare but still incredibly valuable skill in modern hockey.

Defensively? Whoooo boy does Smith need work. Without dwelling on specific aspects, it's safe to say that if Smith can't hit you, you just beat him. But just don't let him hit you, because he's basically a freight train -- if he catches you you're toast, but if you see him coming and elude him, he's stuck on the rails and can't turn back.

Colton Smith has been, as mentioned, largely ignored in draft rankings. Craig Button has him at #64, but I couldn't find him in any other top 100 lists. I don't know if I would consider such a player in the first 5 rounds, but in the 6th/7th you have a shot at a very physical 4th line bruiser who could develop the requisite skills to become a pretty decent hockey player. The passing and shooting are pretty good, and if he can improve his puckhandling and -- primarily -- defensive zone play, I think we could have a Zack Kassian-type somewhere down the line, which is very useful for your 4th line. The problem is, I don't see Smith lasting until the 6th/7th rounds, because he's the type of player Ottawa likes to snatch up in the 2nd round.
 

Captain3rdLine

Registered User
Sep 24, 2020
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2022 Draft Profile:

LW Colton Smith, London OHL

Though destined to be a divisive prospect due to his play style, Colton Smith has the potential of a true draft day sleeper due to the fact many modern scouting bureaus and draft writers specifically and purposefully ignore players of his particular play style. And when describing Smith's play style, we can probably sum it up in one, single word: MEAN.

The Hershey, PA native is 6'2-210 and possesses extraordinary physical strength. It is safe to say he is well aware of this attribute, as he basically plays the game like a bully on skates. Smith hits anything that moves in the opposing jersey, and he hits it hard. If one of his teammates takes a hard check, Smith is out on the next shift trying to plaster the offender into next week. He is incredibly tough, and this is also how he affects the game offensively. Smith's finest attributes in the scoring sense are that he is an immovable object in front of opposing nets, and he is one of the best in the OHL at screening goalies and banging home rebounds or scoring off greasy, net-front scrums. If there's any battle where the winner is determined by strength, Smith is going to come out on top of that particular battle.

Where Smith becomes intriguing is when we look at the surrounding tools in his game and realize they're actually pretty good. His skating is average and his puck skills need work, but he's actually a pretty nifty passer and his shot is heavy and accurate. His go to move with the puck, like many youngsters gifted with size and strength, is to shield the puck with his body and hold it out, as if playing "keep away" with a smaller kid. The problem with this move is, unless you are an elite level hands/vision guy like a Juraj Slafkovsky, it usually leaves the puck so far away from your own body that it takes several precious moments to reel it back in for a pass or shot when that opportunity arises. Smith has trouble creating, and the London coaching seems to prefer him to just crash the crease and let the other 4 Knights skaters do the heavy thinking. But again, Smith is terrific at crease-crashing, and this is an increasingly rare but still incredibly valuable skill in modern hockey.

Defensively? Whoooo boy does Smith need work. Without dwelling on specific aspects, it's safe to say that if Smith can't hit you, you just beat him. But just don't let him hit you, because he's basically a freight train -- if he catches you you're toast, but if you see him coming and elude him, he's stuck on the rails and can't turn back.

Colton Smith has been, as mentioned, largely ignored in draft rankings. Craig Button has him at #64, but I couldn't find him in any other top 100 lists. I don't know if I would consider such a player in the first 5 rounds, but in the 6th/7th you have a shot at a very physical 4th line bruiser who could develop the requisite skills to become a pretty decent hockey player. The passing and shooting are pretty good, and if he can improve his puckhandling and -- primarily -- defensive zone play, I think we could have a Zack Kassian-type somewhere down the line, which is very useful for your 4th line. The problem is, I don't see Smith lasting until the 6th/7th rounds, because he's the type of player Ottawa likes to snatch up in the 2nd round.
He’s also the Ottawa coach D.J. Smith’s son btw. So if you think they might snatch him up in the 2nd there’s even more incentive for that.
 

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