Prospect Info: 2022 Draft Prospects, Part II

[evnted]

been ages since ive chatted on hfboards but figured no better time than now to try to get back into it (ive been lurking on here and the prospects board for a while so i guess ive been a bit of a parasocial member lol). in any case, ive very much appreciated all the prospect chat from everyone and im looking forward to being able to contribute to it again.

on the topic of jiricek, im at this weird position of knowing how much we need a player of his style, while also feeling a bit apprehensive about adding that particular style. his shot, physicality, and one-on-one shutdown ability are just fantastic as have been praised time and time again, but theres a few areas of his game that i could see being problematic long term. i think his general, non-puck carrier defensive zone coverage could be a bit more purposeful, i think he needs to work more on stabilizing his risk taking at the opponents blueline since he can certainly get turned around if he messes up (especially so if the puck carrier opts for a pass rather than trying to skate past him), and i think im echoing a sentiment from a couple other posters from a while ago that his pass execution (and to a lesser degree decision making) sometimes seems haphazard, despite him clearly being an intelligent player with great puck handling abilities.

i do want to reiterate just how valuable i think he could be for us, i just think my concern right now is he winds up being a little bit of a live by the sword, die by the sword player since he seems like he always wants to make a big play; he could launch a bomb from the point to win a game, and he could also take a corner battle too far and put us down a man in a key scenario. part of what i wonder is whether or not this is simply the price you pay to land a player like jiricek, which is definitely hard to argue against. i would love to be in on our interviews with him because if there were any sort of discussion about dialing him back juuuuust a smidge, i think you get a really impactful defender with a more consistently productive intensity to his game

 

[StevenToddIves]

been ages since ive chatted on hfboards but figured no better time than now to try to get back into it (ive been lurking on here and the prospects board for a while so i guess ive been a bit of a parasocial member lol). in any case, ive very much appreciated all the prospect chat from everyone and im looking forward to being able to contribute to it again.

on the topic of jiricek, im at this weird position of knowing how much we need a player of his style, while also feeling a bit apprehensive about adding that particular style. his shot, physicality, and one-on-one shutdown ability are just fantastic as have been praised time and time again, but theres a few areas of his game that i could see being problematic long term. i think his general, non-puck carrier defensive zone coverage could be a bit more purposeful, i think he needs to work more on stabilizing his risk taking at the opponents blueline since he can certainly get turned around if he messes up (especially so if the puck carrier opts for a pass rather than trying to skate past him), and i think im echoing a sentiment from a couple other posters from a while ago that his pass execution (and to a lesser degree decision making) sometimes seems haphazard, despite him clearly being an intelligent player with great puck handling abilities.

i do want to reiterate just how valuable i think he could be for us, i just think my concern right now is he winds up being a little bit of a live by the sword, die by the sword player since he seems like he always wants to make a big play; he could launch a bomb from the point to win a game, and he could also take a corner battle too far and put us down a man in a key scenario. part of what i wonder is whether or not this is simply the price you pay to land a player like jiricek, which is definitely hard to argue against. i would love to be in on our interviews with him because if there were any sort of discussion about dialing him back juuuuust a smidge, i think you get a really impactful defender with a more consistently productive intensity to his game

I would say that every one of Jiricek's needed areas of improvement -- and I certainly see all of your points -- are all coachable and correctable. You are clearly quite adept at assessing a player's abilities and areas of need. What I personally do when assessing prospects is ask myself if their flaws are correctable. Because with a player like Jiricek, his mix of abilities is rare. He's obviously a smart kid and he plays hard, which gives me great hope he can learn the nuances of the very difficult position of defense. I keep in mind that he's just a teenager, and I can envision him being a dominant force in the NHL by his early 20s.

 

[evnted]

I would say that every one of Jiricek's needed areas of improvement -- and I certainly see all of your points -- are all coachable and correctable. You are clearly quite adept at assessing a player's abilities and areas of need. What I personally do when assessing prospects is ask myself if their flaws are correctable. Because with a player like Jiricek, his mix of abilities is rare. He's obviously a smart kid and he plays hard, which gives me great hope he can learn the nuances of the very difficult position of defense. I keep in mind that he's just a teenager, and I can envision him being a dominant force in the NHL by his early 20s.

much appreciated response sir. i definitely see what you mean wrt coachability of his issues. historically, ive been a bit weaker on projecting D prospects than i have F (partially because i dont think i always respected defensive ability as being a true skillset), so this year especially ive been trying to grapple with the nuance of what truly special defensive awareness and drive look like. on that same vein, im quite high on ryan chesley as well, and i feel its almost recompense on my behalf for having been cooler on sanderson than i shouldve been in 2020 lol

 

[StevenToddIves]

much appreciated response sir. i definitely see what you mean wrt coachability of his issues. historically, ive been a bit weaker on projecting D prospects than i have F (partially because i dont think i always respected defensive ability as being a true skillset), so this year especially ive been trying to grapple with the nuance of what truly special defensive awareness and drive look like. on that same vein, im quite high on ryan chesley as well, and i feel its almost recompense on my behalf for having been cooler on sanderson than i shouldve been in 2020 lol

Haha -- Jake Sanderson brings back some memories. As I'm sure the long-time Devils boards folks like @Guttersniped and @My3Sons will tell you, I spend about a gazillion pages pumping Sanderson as the runaway best LD for the 2020 draft. The people debating me were -- not surprisingly -- people who don't watch the prospects play, but just check the stats and listen to dimwit draft analysts who think gaudy point totals are a better way to judge prospect defensemen than actual play in the defensive zone.

Ryan Chesley is not quite the immense prospect Sanderson was -- he lacks a bit of the polish and the breakaway speed -- but he's more physical and has a better shot and he's also just so air-tight defensively, especially considering his age. I simply cannot believe when I look at draft rankings which have him in the #30-#40 range, it's just sheer absurdity. I've seen Chesley ranked behind Salomonsson and Nelson, two defensemen whose biggest flaw is completely unacceptable defense. They're liabilities to their team every time they step on the ice, but because they have more *points* people are ranking them ahead of Chesley -- who probably has the talent to outscore either of them if he also cared more about his own stat totals than whether or not his team wins. Right now, Chesley is probably just outside my top 10, probably #11 or #12 overall.

Ultimately, I'd say the #1 prospect outside the NHL right now is Jake Sanderson. And the Rookie of the Year this year should be another player we can compare to these two in Moritz Seider. I'd rank Chesley 3rd of the three, but that's no insult considering the lofty company.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

C David Goyette, Sudbury OHL
With 63 points in 58 games and some very real offensive abilities, Goyette has gotten some first round consideration from several scouting bureaus and draft writers, hype which reached a crescendo with an extraordinarily high #17 overall ranking from Craig Button. Though his consensus ranking is probably the top half of the 2nd round, the fact that certain outliers have him in such great esteem presents a possibility that he could go in the late 1st.

Goyette is a 5'11-175 center who has explosive skating ability. Though he's just shy of the elite skaters of the 2022 class like Cooley and Lambert, he has dynamite acceleration, terrific edges and agility, and can reach some impressive top speeds. This combines with his other plus trait of puckhandling to make him a pretty dynamic player in open ice and in transition. When Goyette is going full throttle, he can blast past the opposition and, as such, against looser defensive opposition he is downright deadly in transition. Once in the offensive zone, Goyette is a good player, but he loses the dynamism he has in open space. He's a good passer, accurate and nifty, but the creativity is not high end. He scores more with his shiftiness than his shot, but his shot is not bad -- he's got a good release and accuracy, but the power is not going to knock your socks off.

Goyette is a smart player who has good awareness without being spectacular in this regard. His compete level is good, but you kind of have to break it down. Some people think compete amounts to *hustle*, but that's just a piece of the puzzle. Goyette always gives good effort in pursuing the puck, but his compete can break down a bit when it comes to physical battles against physical opposition. It's not really lack of courage so much as confidence -- I suspect Goyette feels there are some battles he is not going to win, so he shifts to Plan B. He's got the same "almost but not quite" quality to his offensive game, as he's one of those players who excels in space, but when he doesn't have the gap to make his foot-speed a weapon, his offensive capabilities dip noticeably. He's not a "something out of nothing" scorer -- but he is a very good "something out of something" offensive weapon.

I'd say it's still up in the air whether Goyette's future is at center or LW, as he has trouble with some of the defensive requirements of playing up the middle. The wing would give him a bit more room to roam, which would play to his strengths. I'd say Goyette's talent gives him a ceiling as a 2nd line support scorer, which is a pretty nice get in the 2nd round which represents his likely draft position. However, there is some risk here, as his overall game might not be suitable for a bottom 6 role if he does not reach his ceiling. I'll rank him somewhere in the 2nd round on the basis of some nice speed and puck skills and a nose for offense, but probably towards the back end of the round.

 

[My3Sons]

Haha -- Jake Sanderson brings back some memories. As I'm sure the long-time Devils boards folks like @Guttersniped and @My3Sons will tell you, I spend about a gazillion pages pumping Sanderson as the runaway best LD for the 2020 draft. The people debating me were -- not surprisingly -- people who don't watch the prospects play, but just check the stats and listen to dimwit draft analysts who think gaudy point totals are a better way to judge prospect defensemen than actual play in the defensive zone.

Ryan Chesley is not quite the immense prospect Sanderson was -- he lacks a bit of the polish and the breakaway speed -- but he's more physical and has a better shot and he's also just so air-tight defensively, especially considering his age. I simply cannot believe when I look at draft rankings which have him in the #30-#40 range, it's just sheer absurdity. I've seen Chesley ranked behind Salomonsson and Nelson, two defensemen whose biggest flaw is completely unacceptable defense. They're liabilities to their team every time they step on the ice, but because they have more *points* people are ranking them ahead of Chesley -- who probably has the talent to outscore either of them if he also cared more about his own stat totals than whether or not his team wins. Right now, Chesley is probably just outside my top 10, probably #11 or #12 overall.

Ultimately, I'd say the #1 prospect outside the NHL right now is Jake Sanderson. And the Rookie of the Year this year should be another player we can compare to these two in Moritz Seider. I'd rank Chesley 3rd of the three, but that's no insult considering the lofty company.

I think one thing that gets lost in the shuffle is that you are old enough to understand the value of actual defense and competitive nature. Compared to a fair number of Johnnie Come Laltely draft writers who only look at highlight packages and evaluate skill. Maybe some temper that by looking at how big a player is you might seem the anomaly. Maybe at one point the game was trending in the direction of the racetrack. The past couple of seasons seem to be tilting it back to a more competitive environment where more holding clutching and grabbing is permitted. A guy like Sanderson has the tools and competitive nature and intellect to thrive in today’s environment where a purely new school guy like Ty Smith can be effective but maybe his limitations defensively catch up to him at times. A bit of old school defense is important in my view and I think Fitz agrees with you for the most part.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RW Evan Konyen, Sudbury OHL
Here's a nice under the radar winger for all the sleeper-diggers out there. Konyen is a 5'10-165 speed demon with some terrific offensive upside, and I feel he deserves more attention. I might like his upside more even than his far more heralded teammate David Goyette. Despite scoring at near a PPG pace for a moribund offensive Wolves team, Konyen's high rankings are a handful of people who see him as a late 3rd round pick, and most people haven't ranked him at all. I think this has to do with his size more than anything, because his listed measurements seem a bit generous. However, this is a player with very intriguing offensive potential and I'm quite high on him.

Konyen is an excellent skater. He's in that just-shy-of-elite range, where he's explosive in space and quick on his edges in tight but not quite in the top grouping of the 2022 class. He plays fast and thinks fast, and has a nice set of hands which give him the ability to even work some puck magic at high speeds. Konyen is a very good passer and an even better shooter. His wrist shot is nasty -- a quick release and a lot more power behind it than his physique would seem to lend itself to. I think this kid is just a tremendous athlete, and I think he has a lot of room to grow. Konyen is the type of player you draft in the 4th round and don't really think about, but then he builds his core strength and all of his skills play up as a result and then he puts up 100 points in his final CHL season and everyone is wondering where the hell he came from.

Not that Konyen does not have several aspects of the game to work on. His defense needs work, but it's not something I worry about because he shows high general awareness and a very good compete level. Like many young scoring forwards, he can get lost in opposing cycles and lose his man or positioning, and like many smaller forwards he can be muscled off the puck. But with wingers this does not scare me off prospects like it would with a defenseman or a center, and Konyen's natural instincts and elusiveness precludes him from absorbing too much damage.

Ultimately, I think Konyen is a legit second line scoring prospect at the highest levels. The combination of his speed, puck skills and shot are just extremely encouraging to me. I'd say he's certainly worth a pick from the mid-2nd round on, although he's a better value if you wait until the 4th because so many NHL front offices likely consider him too small. Konyen's high IQ and good compete give him a higher floor than most prospects of his ilk, because I think even if he doesn't reach his ultimate ceiling he would still be able to ably contribute to a 3rd line down the road. Evan Konyen is a fast and talented scoring winger, and despite a lack of gaudy totals or pre-draft attention, he's a terrific prospect with serious sleeper potential.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

LW/C Kocha Delic, Sudbury OHL
The Sudbury Wolves' current top scoring line is interesting in that it's composed of a trio of fast, skilled but undersized forwards who will all certainly be drafted in the 2022 draft. Though Delic is likely destined to be the final player picked of the threesome (Goyette centering Delic and Konyen), he's still a very shifty and skillful player with potential to one day play on a scoring line at the highest levels. Though his 43 points in 57 games do not exactly pop our eyes from the sockets, he's probably the best passer of his line and plays with excellent pace and precision.

Like his linemates, the biggest knock on Delic is his size, as he's a bit generously listed at 5'10-180. But the Ottawa native is a very good skater who thinks fast and plays fast, which is what you want from a smaller offensive forward. He's got a nice set of hands and is able to deke in full stride, making him especially dangerous in zone exits and zone entries. In space, Delic seems like a 2nd or 3rd round pick, but like many smaller forwards his struggles come in the interior and the defensive zone. Right now he's pretty easy to knock off the puck, and Delic certainly needs some time in the weight room.

But this is also a player who can generate offense, and as such we need to project and laud his palpable upside. If a defender gives him too much of a gap, Delic is quick to exploit it with his quick hands and even quicker feet. He is a creative passer who can manipulate defenders to open up non-existent lanes, and ability which gives him some 2nd line upside as a playmaker from the wing. Though he is not the line-driver that Goyette is or the trigger-man that Konyen is, Delic's skills also compliment the line -- a line which gives slower opposition fits every time they're zipping around the ice.

Delic has had a couple of late 3rd round rankings, but I haven't seen him on too many top 100 lists. I'd probably take him third out of his line, but I'd still take him. I'd say Delic's upside is the same as Goyette and Konyen -- a second line offensive generator -- but his floor might be slightly lower so I'd say he's probably a nice pick in the 4th round.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Anyway, I just did my first FC Hockey mock Devils draft and, if I pulled this off I'd be some sort of miracle worker. RD prospect pool goes from one of the worst in the NHL to among the best. Perevalov is a potential 1st line scoring star with a 2nd round pick. Schaefer gives the Devils a bruising power forward with 30+ goals in the WHL already this season, and then two "swings for the fences" on under-the-radar Fs Sykora and Kvochko.

6

JIRICEK DAVID
RD

38

PEREVALOV ALEXANDER
RW
LOKO YAROSLAVL
MHL

70

RINZEL SAM
RD
WATERLOO BLACK HAWKS
USHL

102

SCHAEFER REID
LW
SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS
WHL

105

WARREN NOAH
RD
GATINEAU OLYMPIQUES
QMJHL

113

SYKORA ADAM
LW
HK NITRA
SLOVAKIA

138

KVOCHKO ILYA
C
METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK
KHL

 

[tunnelvision]

Hi Devils board, Jackets fan here. First of all just want to say I've really enjoyed reading your draft thread(s), great posts by everyone, especially @StevenToddIves ! I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into these draft profiles.

I was particularly looking forward to read your assessments of Sudbury's top line players, and your notes certainly did not disappoint me. Sudbury was one of the OHL teams I spent time watching earlier in the year of 2022 once some nice plays by Goyette and Delic caught my attention in their game highlights.

I don't think there's a lot to disagree with what you have written about them but I have passing related comments for each player profile of Delic and Goyette.

He's got the same "almost but not quite" quality to his offensive game, as he's one of those players who excels in space, but when he doesn't have the gap to make his foot-speed a weapon, his offensive capabilities dip noticeably. He's not a "something out of nothing" scorer -- but he is a very good "something out of something" offensive weapon.

This was about Goyette. And I agree based on 6-7 games I've seen. I think he looked like a center who can be very effective in transition and in the OZ if he's the one initiating the offensive play by carrying the puck from DZ to OZ or using the open space in the OZ. But I think there's is a noticeable drop in passing/playmaking skills compared to top projected forwards in this year's draft. There were many times when I saw Sudbury having a 2vs1 or a 3vs2 with Goyette crossing the blueline with puck on his stick, and he was kind of forced to make a pass to opposite wing through sticks and skates or a diagonal drop pass to the third man on the rush. You're in a non-ideal position as a puck carrier in these kind of situations to make a pass, and in order to succeed on it IMO you've got to have high end puck handling/passing ability and vision. I thought he failed more on these type of plays than you would hope to see from a player with top 6 upside (Alhough I must add that he seems to get more second tries on the plays than some other players since he's able to recover with excellent skating skills and eventually win the puck back. But I don't know if he could rely on that in the NHL).

I noticed similar issues in the OZ as he was cycling with the puck on the perimeter and trying to find that perfect passing lane for a one time shot. I'm not trying to say he's a bad passer but as of now I think there are better options in the first round if the priority is to find that guy who could be able to make those difficult cross zone passes at the next level.

Despite all of that, he's still one of my favorite center prospects of this draft, thanks to his skating, compete level and the overall tool set.

But this is also a player who can generate offense, and as such we need to project and laud his palpable upside. If a defender gives him too much of a gap, Delic is quick to exploit it with his quick hands and even quicker feet. He is a creative passer who can manipulate defenders to open up non-existent lanes, and ability which gives him some 2nd line upside as a playmaker from the wing. Though he is not the line-driver that Goyette is or the trigger-man that Konyen is, Delic's skills also compliment the line -- a line which gives slower opposition fits every time they're zipping around the ice.

This is how I perceived his offensive game too in the first couple of games. Very quick hands, kind of reminds me of Jesper Bratt in that regard to be honest. But as I watched him more I became more doubtful about his creativity with the puck. Many of his passes in the OZ looked like they were "set-up" in the sense that he didn't look up to see where his teammates were and what his options were, but it was more like they had planned and agreed together (between linemates or as a team) that the puck carrier should just do kind of inaccurate areal passes in certain situations if he doesn't have room to make obvious and best decision with the puck.

What I'm attempting to say is that most of his passing appeared rather "routined" to me even though he for sure has got the hands to make various types of passes, even creative ones. That said, the sample size is way too small for me to honestly disagree with your words there. For a small gritty winger he's often described as, he surely has some nice mitts and it is showcased on his passes.

 

[forceten]

STI, you can’t retire! We can setup a gofundme tip jar if it helps!

 

[Buck Dancer]

 

[StevenToddIves]

Hi Devils board, Jackets fan here. First of all just want to say I've really enjoyed reading your draft thread(s), great posts by everyone, especially @StevenToddIves ! I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into these draft profiles.

I was particularly looking forward to read your assessments of Sudbury's top line players, and your notes certainly did not disappoint me. Sudbury was one of the OHL teams I spent time watching earlier in the year of 2022 once some nice plays by Goyette and Delic caught my attention in their game highlights.

I don't think there's a lot to disagree with what you have written about them but I have passing related comments for each player profile of Delic and Goyette.


This was about Goyette. And I agree based on 6-7 games I've seen. I think he looked like a center who can be very effective in transition and in the OZ if he's the one initiating the offensive play by carrying the puck from DZ to OZ or using the open space in the OZ. But I think there's is a noticeable drop in passing/playmaking skills compared to top projected forwards in this year's draft. There were many times when I saw Sudbury having a 2vs1 or a 3vs2 with Goyette crossing the blueline with puck on his stick, and he was kind of forced to make a pass to opposite wing through sticks and skates or a diagonal drop pass to the third man on the rush. You're in a non-ideal position as a puck carrier in these kind of situations to make a pass, and in order to succeed on it IMO you've got to have high end puck handling/passing ability and vision. I thought he failed more on these type of plays than you would hope to see from a player with top 6 upside (Alhough I must add that he seems to get more second tries on the plays than some other players since he's able to recover with excellent skating skills and eventually win the puck back. But I don't know if he could rely on that in the NHL).

I noticed similar issues in the OZ as he was cycling with the puck on the perimeter and trying to find that perfect passing lane for a one time shot. I'm not trying to say he's a bad passer but as of now I think there are better options in the first round if the priority is to find that guy who could be able to make those difficult cross zone passes at the next level.

Despite all of that, he's still one of my favorite center prospects of this draft, thanks to his skating, compete level and the overall tool set.


This is how I perceived his offensive game too in the first couple of games. Very quick hands, kind of reminds me of Jesper Bratt in that regard to be honest. But as I watched him more I became more doubtful about his creativity with the puck. Many of his passes in the OZ looked like they were "set-up" in the sense that he didn't look up to see where his teammates were and what his options were, but it was more like they had planned and agreed together (between linemates or as a team) that the puck carrier should just do kind of inaccurate areal passes in certain situations if he doesn't have room to make obvious and best decision with the puck.

What I'm attempting to say is that most of his passing appeared rather "routined" to me even though he for sure has got the hands to make various types of passes, even creative ones. That said, the sample size is way too small for me to honestly disagree with your words there. For a small gritty winger he's often described as, he surely has some nice mitts and it is showcased on his passes.

Thank you for this -- you've clearly watched a lot of Sudbury, and you're obviously possessing a significant talent of your own for assessing young players. Everything you say here is really observant and helpful in getting a clearer view of these players and their potentials.

I realize people on the HFBoards can get a bit "West Side Story" with fans of other teams coming to their turf, so to speak, but my ambition was always to have fans of all the teams be able to come here and discuss the prospects. The reason I stay off the main boards is, well... not everyone out there is nice or diplomatic or intelligent. It's hard to enough to try to project the strengths and weaknesses of a player without someone saying "he's a bust" or "he sucks" every time you post about him without having even watched him play. Basically, I'm saying come back here any time to post your opinions and observations on prospects. Though the Devils main boards can attract some weirdos, our draft boards are overwhelmingly populated by some really smart folks.

I also post mock drafts on the Devils threads, and although I study all the franchises with great effort, feel free go on and tell me if you disagree with my speculation for the Blue Jackets and I thank you for your input.

 

[StevenToddIves]

STI, you can’t retire! We can setup a gofundme tip jar if it helps!

Haha, it's not money, it's time. But hit me up again next year, if I can get someone else here to help me with the individual player write-ups, we'll see. What have I done so far, 130? 140? They're a ton of work.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Slafkovsky has established himself as the #2 player in this draft and, to be honest, I think it's not out of the realm of possibility (though still unlikely) that he goes #1 overall.

 

[Guttersniped]

Thank you for this -- you've clearly watched a lot of Sudbury, and you're obviously possessing a significant talent of your own for assessing young players. Everything you say here is really observant and helpful in getting a clearer view of these players and their potentials.

I realize people on the HFBoards can get a bit "West Side Story" with fans of other teams coming to their turf, so to speak, but my ambition was always to have fans of all the teams be able to come here and discuss the prospects. The reason I stay off the main boards is, well... not everyone out there is nice or diplomatic or intelligent. It's hard to enough to try to project the strengths and weaknesses of a player without someone saying "he's a bust" or "he sucks" every time you post about him without having even watched him play. Basically, I'm saying come back here any time to post your opinions and observations on prospects. Though the Devils main boards can attract some weirdos, our draft boards are overwhelmingly populated by some really smart folks.

I also post mock drafts on the Devils threads, and although I study all the franchises with great effort, feel free go on and tell me if you disagree with my speculation for the Blue Jackets and I thank you for your input.

Invaders! Infidels! Bar the doors! Everyone hide!

 

[Figgie]

Fun to watch Slafkovsky playing. He is best player on the ice. Saad that we are not getting him if we are not picking in top2.

 

[Buck Dancer]

Slafkovsky has established himself as the #2 player in this draft and, to be honest, I think it's not out of the realm of possibility (though still unlikely) that he goes #1 overall.

Personnaly, I would take him 1st overall. This kid has all the tools you want in a gamebreaker and the size to boot. Yes, he doesn't play the center position but I'll always take the better player over a position that is viewed to be "more important".

Shane Wright is great, I just think Slafkovsky will be better.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Personnaly, I would take him 1st overall. This kid has all the tools you want in a gamebreaker and the size to boot. Yes, he doesn't play the center position but I'll always take the better player over a position that is viewed to be "more important".

Shane Wright is great, I just think Slafkovsky will be better.

Perfectly legit opinion. Wright is objectively phenomenal, as well. I think you win with either, which is why a top 2 pick in this year's draft is a very, very good thing to have.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Fun to watch Slafkovsky playing. He is best player on the ice. Saad that we are not getting him if we are not picking in top2.

There is a slim possibility you can get him top 3, because many teams at the top of the draft are really desperate at C.

Montreal: Would take Wright first, as they need another top 6 C aside from Suzuki. They are really thin there organizationally, so they could take Cooley #2.

Arizona: Desperate at C, I think they take a C no matter where they draft in the 1st.

Seattle: expansion team needs everything, so likely to take the top player on the board regardless of position.

Ottawa: hard to say where they would stand on Slafkovsky -- they like size, but actively dislike Eastern Europeans. Their top organizational need is at C. I think they pass on Slafkovsky and go for Wright at #1 and Cooley or even Geekie at #2.

Philly: thin at C and RD but have a great young LW in Farabee. I think they take Wright #1 and one of the RD at #2.

Columbus: really thin at C, but Kekkalainen is a shrewd GM who normally goes BOP. I think they take Wright #1 and Slafkovsky #2.

Buffalo: need another top 6 C and really really need RD to pair with LDs Dahlin and Power. I think they go Wright #1 and one of the RDs #2.

NJ: I think we are literally the only team who could take Slafkovsky at #1 overall. Not comparing Wright's upside to Hischier, their "player types" are similar. And Hughes is the #1 center for the next decade, hands down. The Devils need a power winger more than any team in the entire NHL except maybe Toronto. The idea of a top line of Slafkovsky-Hughes-Bratt is potentially the best in the entire NHL.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RW Vinzenz Rohrer, Ottawa OHL
Hockey has gained in popularity in Central Europe over recent years, and the number of talented players from Switzerland, Germany and Austria is testament to this. Though Rohrer is not the first-round surety of countryman Marko Kasper, he is a tremendous prospect in his own right and a very likely selection in the 3rd/4th rounds. He's one of those players who maximizes his natural skill base, and players of this high-character ilk are the most likely to approach their talent ceilings. This has become something of a calling card among Austrian hockey talents, which can attribute not only to Rohrer and Kasper, but also to current NHLer Michael Raffl and Minnesota uber-prospect Marco Rossi.

Rohrer is not big at 5'11-165 and not especially fast, though we can say he is strong on his skates. But he's currently a very effective two-way weapon for the 67's top line, primarily because he's sneaky dangerous offensively and has an outstanding combination of hockey IQ and compete level. He plays an extremely interior game and fears nothing, always crashing creases for rebounds and deflections. He's a maximum-courage player who routinely wins puck battles against defenders who have advantages over him in size, wing-span and speed. Though Rohrer is certainly strong for his size, his finest asset is his unending tenacity, and relentless desire to win. You can beat him once, but he'll just keep on coming back at you.

Rohrer is far from just an extreme effort guy. His puck-handling skills are top notch, and you can literally make a highlight reel from the amount of times Rohrer has emerged from high-traffic scrums with full possession with a head full of steam and incredibly quick hands manipulating the puck like an extension of his body. He also has a plus-shot -- very impressive in release, accuracy and power. If you just watched the shot's trajectory without witnessing who shot it, your jaw might drop when you realized the dude who unleashed it is maybe 170 pounds soaking wet. This kid can outright score.

He needs to improve his defensive game, though of course not for effort. The positioning needs work, and as with many young over-enthusiastic young hustlers, puck chasing is a problem which needs to be coached out of him. He always wants to help his team win, which is commendable, but sometimes a player is more effective in this regard by keeping position and offering an exit support up high rather than trying to always be the hero.

Vinzenz Rohrer is a player whom I am extremely high on. I feel his high motor combined with a couple of plus skills outweigh his impediments of size and high-end speed. I do not think he's a guy you can ever aspire to be a first liner, but middle 6 upside with 20+ goal potential is not an unreasonable aspiration. I feel his high compete raises his talent floor, and at the very least he'll be a tenacious professional 4th liner. In the third round he's a good pick, and in the 4th round he's a tremendous pick. Keep this kid on your radar, because he's a very nice prospect.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Hi Devils board, Jackets fan here. First of all just want to say I've really enjoyed reading your draft thread(s), great posts by everyone, especially @StevenToddIves ! I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into these draft profiles.

I was particularly looking forward to read your assessments of Sudbury's top line players, and your notes certainly did not disappoint me. Sudbury was one of the OHL teams I spent time watching earlier in the year of 2022 once some nice plays by Goyette and Delic caught my attention in their game highlights.

I don't think there's a lot to disagree with what you have written about them but I have passing related comments for each player profile of Delic and Goyette.


This was about Goyette. And I agree based on 6-7 games I've seen. I think he looked like a center who can be very effective in transition and in the OZ if he's the one initiating the offensive play by carrying the puck from DZ to OZ or using the open space in the OZ. But I think there's is a noticeable drop in passing/playmaking skills compared to top projected forwards in this year's draft. There were many times when I saw Sudbury having a 2vs1 or a 3vs2 with Goyette crossing the blueline with puck on his stick, and he was kind of forced to make a pass to opposite wing through sticks and skates or a diagonal drop pass to the third man on the rush. You're in a non-ideal position as a puck carrier in these kind of situations to make a pass, and in order to succeed on it IMO you've got to have high end puck handling/passing ability and vision. I thought he failed more on these type of plays than you would hope to see from a player with top 6 upside (Alhough I must add that he seems to get more second tries on the plays than some other players since he's able to recover with excellent skating skills and eventually win the puck back. But I don't know if he could rely on that in the NHL).

I noticed similar issues in the OZ as he was cycling with the puck on the perimeter and trying to find that perfect passing lane for a one time shot. I'm not trying to say he's a bad passer but as of now I think there are better options in the first round if the priority is to find that guy who could be able to make those difficult cross zone passes at the next level.

Despite all of that, he's still one of my favorite center prospects of this draft, thanks to his skating, compete level and the overall tool set.


This is how I perceived his offensive game too in the first couple of games. Very quick hands, kind of reminds me of Jesper Bratt in that regard to be honest. But as I watched him more I became more doubtful about his creativity with the puck. Many of his passes in the OZ looked like they were "set-up" in the sense that he didn't look up to see where his teammates were and what his options were, but it was more like they had planned and agreed together (between linemates or as a team) that the puck carrier should just do kind of inaccurate areal passes in certain situations if he doesn't have room to make obvious and best decision with the puck.

What I'm attempting to say is that most of his passing appeared rather "routined" to me even though he for sure has got the hands to make various types of passes, even creative ones. That said, the sample size is way too small for me to honestly disagree with your words there. For a small gritty winger he's often described as, he surely has some nice mitts and it is showcased on his passes.

By the way, if you (or any of your Columbus fan buddies) want to check out all my prospect write-ups, you can find them on this thread, and on the first HFBoards Devils 2022 prospect thread:

Prospect Info: - 2022 NHL Draft Prospects

Couldn't locate if there was a previous thread, but some more preliminary rankings are starting to pop up. TSN/Bob: Wright the clear-cut top choice in McKenzie's first 2022 Draft Ranking Craig Button: Top 23 prospects for the 2022 NHL Draft: Shane Wright leads forward-heavy group Corey...

hfboards.mandatory.com

They're kind of just mixed in all over the place, but that's just kind of how I work. I also have my latest mock draft thread with both Columbus picks explained:

Prospect Info: - 2022 Post-Deadline Devils-Centric Mock Draft 2.0 (thru NJ 2nd round)

2022 Devils-centric Mock Draft 2.0 (through NJ 2nd round) — Post Trade Deadline As always, I remind you fine folks this is NOT a draft ranking. It’s based on the consensus rankings, mixed on organizational draft tendency/need. Montreal: C Shane Wright, Kingston OHL the Habs get a future...

hfboards.mandatory.com

And of course my initial prospect rankings for the 2022 draft:

Prospect Info: - 2022 Ives Mid-Season NHL Draft Rankings (1.0)

These are my initial rankings. They may diverge from the consensus, but I’ll be glad to answer any questions about who I have ranked where. These rankings are, of course, likely to change by the draft. As always, I do not include goalies in my skater rankings. It’s also probably important to...

hfboards.mandatory.com

My rankings already look a lot different, and my next rankings should come out by mid-April.

 

[Brodeur]

Corey Pronman's updated rankings: The 2022 NHL Draft ranking: Juraj Slafkovsky rises in Pronman's updated list

 

[bossram]

Corey Pronman's updated rankings: The 2022 NHL Draft ranking: Juraj Slafkovsky rises in Pronman's updated list

Slafvkovsky is going pretty high folks.

 

[Buck Dancer]

Slafvkovsky is going pretty high folks.

I can't see his rankings because I decided to pull the plug on the Athletic but yeah, we didn't need Pronman's newly release to tell us that lol.

This 17 year old man child will be a stud and whoever drafts him will possibly draft the best player in this entire draft.