2022 Draft Thread - July 7-8 (CBJ to pick 6th (via CHI) and 12th overall)

[majormajor]

I am in a boring work Zoom call so I did a mock draft through our pick at 44 with no trades:

1 Montreal Wright
2 NJ Slafkovsky
3 Arizona Cooley
4 Seattle Jiricek
5 Philadelphia Gauthier
6 CBJ Nemec
7 Ottawa Geekie
8 Detroit Savoie
9 Buffalo Kemell
10 Anaheim Nazar
11 San Jose Mateychuk
12 CBJ Mintyukov
13 Islanders Chesley
14 Winnipeg Lambert
15 Vancouver Lekkerimaki
16 Buffalo Kasper
17 Nashville McGroarty
18 Dallas Yurok
19 LA Bichsel
20 Washington Miroshnichenko
21 Pittsburgh Pickering
22 Anaheim Howard
23 St. Louis Kulich
24 Minnesota Korchinski
25 Toronto Luneau
26 Montreal Goyette
27 Arizona Snuggerud
28 Buffalo Ohgren
29 Edmonton Warren
30 Winnipeg Casey
31 Tampa Gaucher
32 Arizona Ostlund

33 Montreal Rinzell
34 Arizona Lamoureaux
35 Seattle Firkus
36 Arizona Beck
37 New Jersey Mesar
38 Chicago Bystedt
39 Ottawa Salomonsson
40 Detroit Hughes
41 Buffalo Zhilkin
42 Anaheim Odelius
43 Arizona Forsmark
44 CBJ Sapovaliv

Glowing report here on Sapovaliv from Brock Otten:

My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft - Part 4: 10-1

We have reached the end and it is time to conclude my Top 10 for the 2022 NHL Draft. 1. Shane Wright - Center - Kingston Frontenacs Wheth...

ohlprospects.blogspot.com

I've been dreaming of a future Mintyukov-Jiricek pairing but won't complain about Nemec. I don't see much high end with Nemec but he's a safe player to project. I'd also love to see a Bichsel-Jiricek pairing. That would be the house of pain.

I don’t think Jarmo wants to go with 2 Dmen in the 1st round.
But I could see him go with 2 forwards

I say go with whatever the draft gives you. Next year is probably mostly forwards.

I actually like our D prospect depth. Just in the last year we've added Blanks and Ceulemans on the right and Svozil and Richard on the left, that's a big step. But there's room to add at the high end. We might not be in a position to draft high end defenders for several drafts to come. That is of course all IF Jarmo thinks that highly of the defenders in this draft. Maybe he thinks this draft is the jackpot for high end wing snipers and wants Kemell and Lekkerimaki.

 

[Jovavic]

Judging by their respective predraft analysis, is it safe to say that Nemac was like Murray coming out of juniors? His high mental game almost guarantees that he's an NHLer but his ceiling might not be that high. And that Jiricek is like Klesla, where at minimum you got an NHLer but if the mental/physical package evolves and he becomes "complete", that you end up with someone who's top ten in the league at his position? Of course, things didn't work out with Rusty for a variety of reasons (injuries and his complete package never arrived)

 

[Youngguns1380]

I would be disappointed if we went 2 D-men in the draft at 6 & 12.

 

[majormajor]

Judging by their respective predraft analysis, is it safe to say that Nemac was like Murray coming out of juniors? His high mental game almost guarantees that he's an NHLer but his ceiling might not be that high. And that Jiricek is like Klesla, where at minimum you got an NHLer but if the mental/physical package evolves and he becomes "complete", that you end up with someone who's top ten in the league at his position? Of course, things didn't work out with Rusty for a variety of reasons (injuries and his complete package never arrived)

That sounds fair to me. Both players got ruined by injuries, but pre-draft the parallels work. I think Murray was a better defender than Nemec though.

Check out this comparison:



I don't disagree with Travers that Jiricek's skating poses some risks, I'm just more confident that he'll put it together. And I agree with his take on Nemec that there isn't as much high end with him.

 

[Xoggz22]

Glowing report here on Sapovaliv from Brock Otten:

My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft - Part 4: 10-1

We have reached the end and it is time to conclude my Top 10 for the 2022 NHL Draft. 1. Shane Wright - Center - Kingston Frontenacs Wheth...

ohlprospects.blogspot.com

I've been dreaming of a future Mintyukov-Jiricek pairing but won't complain about Nemec. I don't see much high end with Nemec but he's a safe player to project. I'd also love to see a Bichsel-Jiricek pairing. That would be the house of pain.



I say go with whatever the draft gives you. Next year is probably mostly forwards.

I actually like our D prospect depth. Just in the last year we've added Blanks and Ceulemans on the right and Svozil and Richard on the left, that's a big step. But there's room to add at the high end. We might not be in a position to draft high end defenders for several drafts to come. That is of course all IF Jarmo thinks that highly of the defenders in this draft. Maybe he thinks this draft is the jackpot for high end wing snipers and wants Kemell and Lekkerimaki.

I've been high on Sapovaliv for some time and draft him about every time in mocks (just because it works out that way.

And don't forget Knazko and Makarov on the LHD as well. Both also very highly thought of. Makarov gets a lot of love from Kournianos among others. He follows the russian prospects a lot and loves Voronkov and Marchenko as well. Think CBJ has been outstanding last couple drafts. I like Richard and Coulemans as well but those others are worthy and have potential upside.

All that said, I woudl have no issue with Nemec/Jiricek and Mintyukov as the first 2 picks. That's high end upside and certainly a top 4 stable for many years to come.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Judging by their respective predraft analysis, is it safe to say that Nemac was like Murray coming out of juniors? His high mental game almost guarantees that he's an NHLer but his ceiling might not be that high. And that Jiricek is like Klesla, where at minimum you got an NHLer but if the mental/physical package evolves and he becomes "complete", that you end up with someone who's top ten in the league at his position? Of course, things didn't work out with Rusty for a variety of reasons (injuries and his complete package never arrived)

I’ve been trying to formulate something along these lines too as a way to understand these two guys. This is good.

 

[Cowumbus]

I am in a boring work Zoom call so I did a mock draft through our pick at 44 with no trades:

1 Montreal Wright
2 NJ Slafkovsky
3 Arizona Cooley
4 Seattle Jiricek
5 Philadelphia Gauthier
6 CBJ Nemec
7 Ottawa Geekie
8 Detroit Savoie
9 Buffalo Kemell
10 Anaheim Nazar
11 San Jose Mateychuk
12 CBJ Mintyukov
13 Islanders Chesley
14 Winnipeg Lambert
15 Vancouver Lekkerimaki
16 Buffalo Kasper
17 Nashville McGroarty
18 Dallas Yurok
19 LA Bichsel
20 Washington Miroshnichenko
21 Pittsburgh Pickering
22 Anaheim Howard
23 St. Louis Kulich
24 Minnesota Korchinski
25 Toronto Luneau
26 Montreal Goyette
27 Arizona Snuggerud
28 Buffalo Ohgren
29 Edmonton Warren
30 Winnipeg Casey
31 Tampa Gaucher
32 Arizona Ostlund

33 Montreal Rinzell
34 Arizona Lamoureaux
35 Seattle Firkus
36 Arizona Beck
37 New Jersey Mesar
38 Chicago Bystedt
39 Ottawa Salomonsson
40 Detroit Hughes
41 Buffalo Zhilkin
42 Anaheim Odelius
43 Arizona Forsmark
44 CBJ Sapovaliv

Where is Lane Hutson? I think he goes round 1.

 

[koteka]

Where is Lane Hutson? I think he goes round 1.

I see Hutson and Ty Nelson as late 2nd or early 3rd guys. Maybe Arizona with all those picks in the 27- 45 range picks one of them because they can take the risk.

 

[VT]

I've been high on Sapovaliv for some time and draft him about every time in mocks (just because it works out that way.

And don't forget Knazko and Makarov on the LHD as well. Both also very highly thought of. Makarov gets a lot of love from Kournianos among others. He follows the russian prospects a lot and loves Voronkov and Marchenko as well. Think CBJ has been outstanding last couple drafts. I like Richard and Coulemans as well but those others are worthy and have potential upside.

All that said, I woudl have no issue with Nemec/Jiricek and Mintyukov as the first 2 picks. That's high end upside and certainly a top 4 stable for many years to come.

If Knažko is soft like in the season before I'm not sure he could be NHL player. And prefer Jiříček over Nemec because David is harder, better in defense.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

I would be disappointed if we went 2 D-men in the draft at 6 & 12.

I kinda get it, but BPA is the way to go. If it results to 2 D-men (or even 2 Wingers), then you fill the other positions via trades, offersheets and UFA.

 

[CoachWithNoTeam]

I don’t think having abundant supply of good young D would be a problem if we do get two in the first.

 

[LJ7]

Jiricek and Mintyukov or Mateychuk would be nice. Nemec and Korchinski or something wouldn't excite me as much.

 

[KJ Dangler]

I honestly think with Torts going to flyers , how he likes to utilize his defenseman to jump up in play, and one of the reasons the gm said he was hired was a known guy that would bring goals against down , that they will definitely draft a defenseman . Also possible they would entertain multiple picks for pick 5 if it presents .. Honestly with a lot of solid talent in the top 15 of this draft , Seattle could be another candidate to utilize that approach . Going to be a fun draft

 

[VT]

2022 NHL Draft Ranking - The Ferrari Cut: The Top 50!

Another year, another ranking. The Bald King is back with his year-end ranking! I want to start by thanking the Winged Wheel Podcast guys for hosting my rankings this year! If for some reason you are new here, give the podcast a listen. They are Detroit Red Wings-centric but are one of the most...

www.wingedwheelpodcast.com

 

[koteka]

Where is Lane Hutson? I think he goes round 1.

Looking at my list today, the guy I missed is Gleb Trikozov. He is rated all over the place. But he is being talked about more and more.

Ty Nelson is also listed as bigger than he used to be. He is now listed as 5’10” 196 lbs.

 

[BB88]

I honestly think with Torts going to flyers , how he likes to utilize his defenseman to jump up in play, and one of the reasons the gm said he was hired was a known guy that would bring goals against down , that they will definitely draft a defenseman . Also possible they would entertain multiple picks for pick 5 if it presents .. Honestly with a lot of solid talent in the top 15 of this draft , Seattle could be another candidate to utilize that approach . Going to be a fun draft

It could also mean forward very well.

All the reports keep saying how they don’t want to rebuild and want to be back in business next season and will be aggressive.

They could see Gauthier is making an impact quicker

 

[BB88]

I wouldn’t have thought so a month ago. But defense is strong in this draft, and this would be the year to grab two defensemen. I dont think we are ready to compete yet and I want to build the best team for the future.

I could see Gauthier at 6 (if he is available). But I also think Philly could take Gauthier, especially after hiring Torts. I could see drafting Kasper at 12.

Glowing report here on Sapovaliv from Brock Otten:

My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft - Part 4: 10-1

We have reached the end and it is time to conclude my Top 10 for the 2022 NHL Draft. 1. Shane Wright - Center - Kingston Frontenacs Wheth...

ohlprospects.blogspot.com

I've been dreaming of a future Mintyukov-Jiricek pairing but won't complain about Nemec. I don't see much high end with Nemec but he's a safe player to project. I'd also love to see a Bichsel-Jiricek pairing. That would be the house of pain.



I say go with whatever the draft gives you. Next year is probably mostly forwards.

I actually like our D prospect depth. Just in the last year we've added Blanks and Ceulemans on the right and Svozil and Richard on the left, that's a big step. But there's room to add at the high end. We might not be in a position to draft high end defenders for several drafts to come. That is of course all IF Jarmo thinks that highly of the defenders in this draft. Maybe he thinks this draft is the jackpot for high end wing snipers and wants Kemell and Lekkerimaki.

I just feel/think Jarmo wants to add another high end forward, really go for that home run if given the chance and complete the new F core

But the more I read the more I’m thinking Gauthier over either of the RD.

Of course that scouts analysis on Kemell was music to my ears (12).

 

[majormajor]

I don’t think having abundant supply of good young D would be a problem if we do get two in the first.

There have been a few times over the years where I was wondering why teams were investing so much in their D position, almost to the point of excess. One of those times was when Colorado added Girard, Makar, Byram, and Toews in a short span. The other was when Tampa traded for McDonagh and gave him that big extension so soon after acquiring Sergachev, when both of them would be stuck behind Hedman at LD.

 

[majormajor]

I just feel/think Jarmo wants to add another high end forward, really go for that home run if given the chance and complete the new F core

But the more I read the more I’m thinking Gauthier over either of the RD.

Of course that scouts analysis on Kemell was music to my ears (12).

Ultimately you swing wherever you think the homerun is. I don't think we especially need LD but I think Mintyukov and Mateychuk and Bichsel are all potential homeruns. I also wonder if Gauthier might be just as good as PLD. I hope they just take a swing and leave position aside.

 

[KJ Dangler]

It could also mean forward very well.

All the reports keep saying how they don’t want to rebuild and want to be back in business next season and will be aggressive.

They could see Gauthier is making an impact quicker

Watching Torts and the gm press conference on Friday and Torts flat out refusing to make a prediction of how next season would go, also looking at their roster.. no way they aren’t in a rebuild . Their roster is bad .

 

[Cowumbus]

If we draft one of the RHD I really hope we don’t try to play them next year, even if they are better than Peeke or something.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

Would love to see a Lane Hutson and Blanks pair if he's there when our 2nd round pick comes up

 

[BB88]

Watching Torts and the gm press conference on Friday and Torts flat out refusing to make a prediction of how next season would go, also looking at their roster.. no way they aren’t in a rebuild . Their roster is bad .

I know it’s bad, but this is the Flyers.
As they’ve fans have said they don’t do rebuilds, Ristolainen talked about how they see this as one down year, NHL insiders keep saying Tortorella means Flyers won’t rebuild, they want back up quick.
Just too much talk of them doing something crazy this summer(Kadri, Gaudreau).

That’s great news for Columbus fans

& I do wonder how it will affect their drafting.
Will they be patient enough to take a 2-3 year development project or do they want a more NHL ready prospect

 

[BB88]

Ultimately you swing wherever you think the homerun is. I don't think we especially need LD but I think Mintyukov and Mateychuk and Bichsel are all potential homeruns. I also wonder if Gauthier might be just as good as PLD. I hope they just take a swing and leave position aside.

Today how I feel about the draft Gauthier+ Mintyukov sounds incredible for 1st round.

& I will have my eye on if Kemell starts to drop for that 12, I just feel he has so many good assets going for him and think at that range he’s a potential home run.


Anyways it’s incredible how they’ve been able to rebuild the asset pool in what 15 months period.

 

[LazyCircuits]

I don’t know if this might be better as a separate thread (mods…do your thing)

I think I have arrived upon my own personal draft list so I thought it would be a good idea to post it and people can add theirs. Obviously it gives people a chance in five years to look at this and laugh at our collective drafting abilities.

Please post your preferences for #6oa, #12oa, #45oa and anybody you think is a gem in the later rounds.

#6:
Logan Cooley is my top pick followed by
Wright/Nemec/Jiricek/Savoie in that order. I keep flip flopping over the order of the 2 dmen so I am forcing myself to commit. If they have all gone I take Slafkovsky.

#12:
I like Marco Kasper the most here but I think he will go between 8 and 10. I am intrigued by Lian Bichsel so I put him slightly above the great skaters of Lambert/Mateychuk. I like Gauthier at this point but know most I consider him higher than this. Yurov is a possibility but is a tier below these others.

2nd round:
The obvious danger here is that these guys could all be gone by this stage but here goes. Nathan Gaucher and Liam Ohgren are the top guys for me here because I like the blend of skill and strength. I don’t expect him to fall past Arizona or Buffalo late in the first but Ivan Mironischenko is definitely worth a gamble here. After that I look Tristan Luneau as a safe pick for a big third pair d and Jagger Firkus for the energy. I like Ryan Chesley here and I would go for Lane Hutson as a go for the fences pick. Rounding out my list I have David Goyette/Owen Beck/Alexander Perevalov/Filip Mesar in that order.

Hidden gems (in no particular order):
Jordan Dumais (could easily get taken in the second round- I would consider him there if everyone on the draft board above had gone)
Tyler Duke
Ilya Kvochko
Gavin Hayes
Evan Konyen (someone is going to look like a genius in five years after drafting this guy in the fourth round)
Noah Warren (a guy built like this is a risk if he is a pylon on ice but if you can develop him…)
Kocha Delic
Tyler Muszelik (a terrible year for goalies but, if we really want one for the pipeline, he might be worth a try)
Miguel Tourigny (Pronman loves this guy but I can’t find anything about him)
Reid Schaeffer
Kirill Dolzhenkov