The highly anticipated first annual EdJovanovski's NHL Draft Ranking List has released. The waiting is over. This first instalment is free of charge, the descriptions were going to be behind a paywall but I was informed for your own thread you must include them, so it's your lucky day.
1. Matvei Michkov - RW, HK Sochi, KHL The crown jewel of the draft. A truly mesmerizing player with the puck, his creativity allows him to create space & his puck skills allow him to not be overwhelmed by grown men in the KHL despite being very undersized. He put up the most dominant draft season in KHL history. Adding up all the tournaments where he & Bedard met and his numbers dwarf the consensus 1st overalls. His NHLe was also superior to Bedards this season. I firmly believe if he were Canadian, he’d probably go #1.
2. Connor Bedard - C, Regina Pants, WHL Not much needs to be said. The edgework, deceptive strength & IQ of Crosby meets the flare & knack for goal scoring of Ovechkin. A wrist shot that would already be top 10 in the league paired with dazzling puck skills makes for one of the best prospects we’ve ever seen. In almost any other draft he'd be the surefire #1. Great maxillofacial development & an aesthetically pleasing nose structure, aesthetics are something that often go overlooked by scouts but in recent years we've seen a significant trend in aesthetics playing a role in who pans out and who busts. Looks play a significant role in how confident we are going throughout life, and there is a lot of literature on the role this plays in athletics.
3. Mikhail Gulyayev - D, Avangard Omsk, KHL Escapability that would make Houdini jealous. He’ll bring the puck into traffic in a manner that will make you audibly yell at him through the TV, just to break ankles and somehow escape with the puck every time. Best skater in the draft. He possess virtually every tool you could ask for in a puck moving offensive defenseman, the only area that needs improvement is how high risk of a game he plays. He'll often go for the flashy lower percentage play over the safe one. I am someone who loves flash however, it's easier to tame a beast than try to create a beast out of someone who isn't one. The influence of early British youth punk subcultures, Soviet era absurdism, Japanese architectural brutalism, and the designs of Raf Simons (notably his fw2001 RIOT RIOT collection) are very apparent in his game as well.
4. Gracy Sawchyn - C, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL One of the biggest sleepers of the draft. I went to the CHL Top Prospects game excited to see Bedard, but Sawchyn stole the show. I checked HF on my phone and was shocked to see no talk about him, he was ranked to go in one of the later rounds at the time but it seems more people are catching on. One of the flashiest players in the draft, ridiculous puck skills paired with elite hockey sense & a strong 200 foot game. Flew under the radar on one of the most stacked teams in CHL history. Also boasts a mind-blowing 3.64 BF%. This guy is a throwback to the bodybuilders of the 80's, you'd see this guy on Muscle Beach with no shirt on enjoying a non-alcoholic beverage with a couple Spanish women. Not sure if he always maintains such a staggering body fat percentage but that's the kind of work ethic he puts in before a big event like the combine, he means business.
5. Ignat Lutfullin - SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL Steal of the draft, a magician with the puck; no player in the draft possesses the pizzazz that this kid does. One of the first prospects to truly implement Kravtsov theory into his game, this is a player who truly appreciates the aesthetics of the sport and aims to create a visually stimulating experience and get fans out of their seat. Players have become nothing more than a cog in the machine, hockey has lost its luster; but Lutfullin is bringing it back. Check his TikTok or Instagram for some of the most impressive highlights you’ll ever see, which is another attribute I admire in him. His confidence to put himself out there and post his own highlights because he knows he's good. He expands on Kravtsov’s appreciation for early Elizabethan theatre and brings it to the silver screens, as many of his plays highlight the glam of Hollywood’s golden age with a distinct admiration for the silent era films of the 30’s.
6. David Reinbacher - D, Kloten, NL One of the most complete games you'll see in an 18 year old, incredible defensive hockey IQ. As you'll see in my posts I value upside & flash more than most, I don't typically advocate for the safe pick, but Reinbacher is a can't miss.
7. Will Smith - C, USNDTP Plays a wheeling & dealing high octane offensive style of game perfect for the modern NHL, he has great puck skills. He is an adept player in his own end and is fairly responsible but needs to gain strength to player a stronger 200ft game.
8. Oliver Moore - C, USNDTP The best skater among forwards in the draft, between him & Gulyayev for best skater overall. He can create separation with ease and should translate seamlessly to being a productive player at the NHL level, even if he didn't pan out into much of an offensive threat for some reason, he would still carve out a meaningful role with his speed anywhere in the lineup.
9. Alexander Rykov - LW, Chelmet Chelyabinsk, VHL With the 9th overall pick we select, from Chelyabinsk... where have we heard that one before? Well he deserves to go here, over .5 PPG in the VHL while his peers are mostly all in the MHL. Also had a brief stint in the KHL. He already plays a mature, 200ft game. If he stays within the organization he will be learning from none other than Kravtsov himself, what a mentor to have.
10. Leo Carlsson - LW, Orebro, SHL Great all around player without many flaws to his game, he's big, had a productive season which he built upon in the SHL playoffs. A bit of a safer pick, but drops some spots in my ranking due to a stutter problem and overall lack of the charisma & swagger. It’s funny when you watch him interact with others there is some sort of charisma but it’s an awkward quirky one, something like a modern day Pee Wee Herman.
11. Zach Benson - LW, Winnipeg Ice, WHL Zach possesses elite hockey IQ, great skating ability and had a very productive season in the W. He's great at creating open ice for teammates. He is another undersized player who struggles in puck battles and will need to adjust to the physicality of the NHL.
12. Adam Fantilli - C, Michigan, NCAA Perhaps my most controversial take, but Adam Fantilli possesses the same opposite Benjamin button syndrome that Lafreniere did. Fantilli has already peaked physically, and 3 years ago he already looked not a day shy of 35.
20-21 U18
Bedard 7-7-14 in 7GP
Michkov 12-4-16 in 7GP
21-22 U18
Bedard 6-1-7 in 4GP
Michkov 5-8-13 in 5GP
21-22 U20
Bedard 4-4-8 in 7GP
Michkov 3-0-3 in 2GP
Total
Bedard 17-12-29 in 18GP (1.6 PPG)
Michkov 20-12-32 in 14GP (2.3 PPG)
For reference, Fantilli didn't even make any of those teams at that age. Fantilli had 5pts in 7GP at the U20 the YEAR AFTER those U20’s I posted for Bedard & Michkov, in a more depleted tournament in terms of talent.
13. Roman Kantserov - LW, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk, MHL One of the best players in the MHL, he has put up back to back PPG+ seasons. Critics say he's a bit one dimensional but he possesses every one of the offensive traits you look for in the modern NHL.
14. Andrew Cristall - LW, Kelowna Rockets, WHL A good pal of the Bedard. Yet another undersized player, though with how many there are at the top of his draft perhaps he won't be undersized in the future NHL. He could use some more strength, especially if it could make him a more explosive skater which is something lacking from his otherwise deadly offensive arsenal.
15. Dimitri Simashev - D, Loko Yaroslavl, MHL Big Dmitri. He is a menacing man, a true shutdown defenseman. Even the analytics nerds who despise these kind of players (Like Scouching) are big fans of the guy, being his highest ranked Russian (Above Michkov!) There is an impressive crop of Russian defensemen coming up after a long period of it being a weakness in their system, and he is one of the headliners of this group.
16. Eduard Sale - RW, HC Kometa Brno, Czechia
17. Dalbir Dvorsky - C, AIK, HockeyAllsvenskan
18. Timur Mukhanov - C, Severstal Cherepovets
19. Ryan Leonard - C, USNDTP
20. Otto Stenberg - C, Frölunda HC, SHL
21. Denver Barkey - C, London Knights, OHL
22. Alex Čiernik - W, Södertälje SK, HockeyAllsvenskan
23. Yegor Zavragin - G, Mamonty Yugry, MHL
24. Aydar Suniev - LW, Penticton Vees, BCHL
25. Maxim Štrbák - D, Sioux Falls Stampede, USHL
26. Gabe Perreault - RW, USNDTP
27. Brayden Yager - C, Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL
28. Magomed Sharakanov - D, MHK Dynamo Moskva, MHL
29. Riley Heidt - F, Prince George Cougars, WHL
30. Axel Sandin Pellikka - D, Skellefteå, SHL
31. Daniil But - LW, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL
32. Tanner Molendyk - D, Saskatoon Blades, WHL
