Prospect Info: Ives 2022 Top 100 NHL Draft Rankings (Spring Edition, 2.0)

[Mgd31]

It’s really hard to say. He might have quicker feet than all of them. That’s actually one of my favourite things about him even though I’m not as high on him as others.

He could be faster than most or all of them but there’s certain aspects of his skating that are messy and kind of awkward that he could certainly improve on. IMO Severson at his best is our best overall skating defensmen we have and I don’t think Jiricek will be as good of a skater as him but think he could be comparable or even slightly better than Dougie in terms of overall skating.
Honestly Dougie could be a decent stylistic comparison for what Jiricek could be as a player. A quicker and more aggressive but also smaller and less poised version of Dougie. They’re both big RD with a heavy shot and a shoot first mentality.

Thank you! So you like Nemec over him?

 

[StevenToddIves]

Is Jiricek better offensively and faster than Adam Larsson, at the time of their respective drafts?

The skating is comparable, but I'd give Jiricek the edge. Jiricek has a definite edge offensively, especially due to his elite shot.

 

[Rydev]

Ives’ 2022 Draft Rankings, Spring Version 2.0 — TOP 100

Ok, I need to start by saying I have left Ivan Miroshnichenko off the rankings, because I’m more concerned with his making a full and complete recovery from Hodgkin’s Disease than I am with whether or not he’s better than Player A or Player B. Without saying much more, I still feel Miro is worth a pick in the late 1st round and he’s a steal in the 2nd.

Here are the rules:

I) No goalies. Goalies scare me.

II) I’ve kept the explanations short, because I’m expanding to a top 100 and that’s a whole lot of writing. If anyone wants a player’s more in-depth scouting report, just ask me and I’m glad to provide it.

III) Any advice about how to format this in the future is greatly appreciated. I suck at that sort of stuff.

IV) All forwards and defensemen are listed by their shooting hands, without regard to their deployment as draft-eligibles. Just makes my life easier, is all.

V) This is not a final ranking, I will do that just prior to the draft.

VI) As we know, I work for you guys for free. But this is a ton of work, and as such you are all greatly encouraged to buy me a beer if you should ever run into me in the actual world. I really like beer.

Now, the rankings:

1. C Shane Wright, Kingston OHL two-way center is devastating on both sides of the puck and a future franchise 1C.
2. LW Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS Finland there may not have been such an elite combo of size/playmaking/hands/IQ all century; a rare player with limitless upside
3. RD David Jiricek, HC Plzen Czechia huge and physical D can also skate, puck-handle and features a howitzer of a shot; potentially dominant 1D
4. RD Simon Nemec, HC Nitra Slovakia best puck-moving D and transition D in draft is also excellent defensively; potential all-situations, all-star 1D
5. RW Frank Nazar, US-NTDP energy, edges, creativity and desire combine in a scintillating package of what may be the most exciting player to watch in the entire 2022 class; future high-scoring, two-way, first-line F
6. C Logan Cooley, US-NTDP best skater in the draft after only Lambert; Cooley can fly and features the top combination of speed/playmaking/IQ for 2022
7. LW Cutter Gauthier, US-NTDP if there’s a lost Tkachuk in the 2022 class, this is it; not only a wrecking ball power F, but this 6’3-200 beast can fly and led a high-octane US-NTDP with 50 goals in 68 games
8. RW Alexander Perevalov, Loko Yaroslavl MHL painfully underrated like every year’s top MHL skater, Perevalov offers elite tools in shooting, passing and puck-handling combined with off-the-charts compete and IQ
9. RW Joakim Kemell, JYP Finland best pure sniper in the draft adds a great compete level and excellent all-around game to his elite goal-scoring acumen.
10. C Matt Savoie, Winnipeg WHL could be the best pure offensive generator in the entire class, but 5’9 and lacking elite speed he might dip a bit on draft day. Still, elite playmaking, puck skills and great shot — edge-of-your-seat abilities.
11. LW Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk KHL hard not to love this player — elite intangibles and checks across the board in every skill, but may lack elite scoring ability putting him just outside the top 10
12. RD Ryan Chesley, US-NTDP best shut-down defender in the draft plays physical brand of smothering D belying his 6’0-185 frame and features very good puck skills blend with a cannon-blast of a shot
13. C Marco Kasper, Rogle Sweden the best player out of Sweden this year is actually Austrian; Kasper combines elite speed with high-end two-way play and physicality. He might lack elite scoring, but he’s the penultimate 2C.
14. C Rutger McGroarty, US-NTDP physical, two-way center is loaded with high-end offensive tools; one of the great-at-everything-but-average-skating types, but an ideal NHL 2C
15. RW Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Djurgardens Sweden devastating shooter is best pure scorer in draft after only Kemell and Gauthier; an absolute terror from the circles on the PP
16. RW/C Brad Lambert, Pelicans Finland best combination of speed/puck skills in the entire 2022 class, but questions about his consistency and compete level have dogged him all year. One of the biggest wild-cards for the draft, without a doubt.
17. RW Filip Mesar, HK Poprad Slovakia near-elite skater with near-elite offensive skills across the board has top-line, high-scoring upside.
18. C Conor Geekie, Winnipeg WHL 6’4 and gifted with elite skills in shooting, playmaking and puckhandling; consistency of effort and to 200-foot play are the only aspects holding him back from a top 10 rating
19. C Nathan Gaucher, Quebec QMJHL old-school 6’3 power center plays with high physicality and compete, great two-ways and in face-off dot but lack of high-end puck skills likely see him as an NHL 2C
20. LW Jiri Kulich, HC Karlovy Czechia 6’0 freight train plays high-paced game and much bigger than his size; this Czech checks every tool-box and plays with enormous energy and compete and is versatile enough to play scoring or checking role
21. RW/C Gleb Trikozov, Omskie MHL Houdini on skates possesses almost preternatural escapability and adds elite hockey IQ and playmaking
22. LD Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw OHL offensive machine is nearly PPG in OHL and features elite skating and puck skills to his 6’1-190 frame
23. C Owen Beck, Mississauga OHL future NHL captain who plays a ferocious two-way game with an elite hockey IQ; maybe a middle-6 C at the NHL level, but he could be as good as it gets in this regard.
24. LD Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw WHL fast, aggressive, confident, high-motor, skilled and PPG in the WHL; Mateychuk offers everything you’d want except size (5’11-190) and a big shot
25. LW Liam Ohgren, Djurgardens Sweden no elite top line skills? No problem. Ohgren is simply very good at virtually everything, utilizing these skills with a high-compete, high-IQ game which plays them all up.
26. RD Tristen Luneau, Gatineau QMJHL jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none is an all-situations, two-way player who will see 20+ minutes per game for whichever NHL team is lucky enough to draft him
27. C/LW Jack Hughes, Northeastern NCAA high-intangibles, two-way C is also a high-end playmaker and a wonderful penalty killer; potential for a stud 2C at the NHL level
28. LD Arseni Koromyslov, SKA-1946 MHL most underrated D in the draft is big (6’3-180), fast and produces decent offense while playing perhaps the best shut-down D in the entire MHL
29. RW Jimmy Snuggerud, US-NTDP big, fast winger is one of the top shut-down defensive forwards for the US-NTDP and plays physical — but he’s also produced to the tune of 82 points in 77 games
30. RD Sam Rinzel, Chaska-MINN USHS 6’4 RD who can absolutely fly and possessed extremely intriguing offensive tools; a raw project but one who could pay off with a top-pairing talent down the road
31. LW Reid Schaefer, Seattle WHL if there’s a Tom Wilson in the 2022 draft class, this is it — 6’3-215 and the most intimidating physical force in the WHL also scored 32 goals in just 64 games for the Thunderbirds
32. LD Kevin Korchinski, Seattle WHL 6’2 defender with elite skating blew up the WHL with 60 assists in just 65 games; raw defensively but just absurd upside for a team with the patience to develop young D
33. LW Isaac Howard, US-NTDP high-motor sniper among the top scorers for the US-NTDP; superb finisher with a great two-way game
34. LD Calle Odelius, Djurgardens J20, Sweden Jr. I really wanted this kid in my 1st round, he’s terrific; good at every aspect of the game and consistently producing offense everywhere he’s been
35. LW Adam Sykora, HK Nitra Slovakia sleeper alert! Fast, high-octane forechecking beast not only makes defenders’ lives miserable but also features underrated scoring skills — he’s the best teenaged F in a Slovakian league which also includes the more naturally-gifted Mesar
36. RW Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw WHL edge-of-your-seat dynamic offensive skills make him a potential draft-day steal, but needs work in rounding out other areas of his game
37. LW Viktor Neuchev, Yekaterinburg MHL high-IQ 6’2 sniper has torn apart the MHL for 40 goals in 61 games and people still somehow don’t know who he is; a volume/quality shooter who will produce goals at any level
38. RD Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville QMJHL 6’7 physical beast who also skates well and has a soft set of hands; intriguing upside somewhere in between Chara and Oleksiak but very raw and a long way to go in development
39. C Logan Morrison, Hamilton OHL best over-ager in the 2022 class — what does this kid have to do to get noticed? He’s a fast, physical, two-way, high IQ/high compete monster who has shredded the OHL for 93 points in 57 games. A steal in the 2nd round, he’ll probably fall to the 4th.
40. LW Julian Lutz, EHC Munchen Germany the top German export for the 2022 class, Lutz is 6’2, fast and physical with the requisite skill to complement an NHL top 6
41. LD Owen Pickering, Swift Current WHL a raw project, but at 6’4 with great skates and intriguing skills he’s extremely projectable for an NHL middle pairing
42. RW Devin Kaplan, US-NTDP the top New Jersey product for the 2022 draft is 6’3-200 and a forechecking demon; may lack top-6 offensive skill but a projectable beast for a 3rd line who may have a bit more offense to offer after being utilized in a primarily defensive role for the US-NTDP
43. RW Matthew Seminoff, Kamloops WHL high-motor RW who is relentless on the puck and offers the requisite scoring skill to aspire to an NHL 2nd line role
44. RD Noah Warren, Gatineau QMJHL 6’5, physical shut-down defender who skates very well and is decent with the puck, while offering some offensive upside due to a bomb of a shot; nothing not to love here
45. LW Rieger Lorenz, Okotoks AJHL speedy 6’2 skill-winger has obliterated the AJHL with 85 points in 60 games and heads to NCAA champion Denver in the autumn
46. LW Jani Nyman, Koovee Mestis 6’3-210 power forward crashes creases with extreme prejudice; very good skills but lacks skating to justify a 1st round pick
47. LD Lian Bichsel, Leksands Sweden top Swiss player for the 2022 class is 6’5-215 and extremely agile and mobile on his skates; intriguing puck skills but very raw — he might be a half decade away, but could be an absolute monster once he hits the highest levels
48. LW Kirill Dolzhenkov, Krasnaya MHL 6’6-235 is an absolute mountain of a man, belying some great puck skills and the ability to reach formidable top speeds; rocket-launcher for a shot; much refinement necessary here but potential for a rare, immovable middle-6 power forward
49. C Noah Ostlund, Djurgardens J20 Sweden Jr. one of the best passing/skating combos in the 2022 class in a slight 5’11-160 package; if he builds his core strength, he’s the Aho-iest prospect for this year’s draft
50. LW Joel Jonsson, Mora J20, Sweden Jr. I absolutely love this little dynamo and probably have him ranked highly as anyone — sure he’s just 5’9-150 and lacks elite skates, but his intangibles are off the board and he possesses elite playmaking skill
51. LW Mikey Milne, Winnipeg WHL top over-aged winger in the 2022 draft combines elite defense/compete with some offensive pop — 78 points in 66 games despite not playing on a line with Savoie
52. C David Goyette, Sudbury OHL fast, skilled center has top 6 NHL upside but needs work on the 200-foot game and reaching the interior
53. C Luca Del Bel Belluz, Mississauga OHL not the most athletic specimen, but the 6’1-180 center is great at hockey and has produced at every level — this year he accumulated 74 points in 60 OHL contests
54. C/LW Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, HIFK U20 Finland Jr. this 6’0-185 pivot combines elite skating with projectable offensive skills
55. RW/C Jack Devine, University of Denver NCAA heart and soul winger for your bottom 6; could possess enough offensive pop to up his projection to a middle 6
56. C Bryce McConnell-Barker, Soo OHL 6’1-190 center can skate and shoot; very good two-ways; may lack high-end playmaking but athleticism and ability project him as a very good middle-six pivot
57. RD Seamus Casey, US-NTDP lacks high end speed and just 5’10-160, but Casey is just as adept without the puck as with it; may not produce same numbers in pros as amateurs, but there’s some Andy Greene in his game
58. C/LW Matyas Sapovaliv, Saginaw OHL 6’4-190 behemoth has great skills but lacks speed; face-off beast and very good defensively; projects nicely to an NHL 3rd line power/shut-down role
59. LD Tomas Hamara, Tappara Finland dynamic skater with high-end playmaking skills; lacks size and needs some refinement, but there’s a great deal of upside in this young Czech rearguard
60. LD Jake Livanavage, Chicago USHL I can’t stop talking about this unicorn, he’s 5’10-160 but in the conversation for the best open-ice hitter in the entire draft; the Arizona native is also a playmaking wizard with 40 assists in 57 games
61. RW Vinzenz Rohrer, Ottawa OHL high-intangibles Austrian has sneaky skills which could give him 2nd line upside and he’s one of the youngest players available for the 2022 draft
62. LD Michael Buchinger, Guelph OHL speedy and skilled offense-first defenseman shows promise in his own zone and offers decent size at 6’0-185
63. LW/C Jordan Gustafson, Seattle WHL versatile, playmaking forward with great skates averaging a PPG in the WHL; off-the-charts intangibles
64. LD Alexander Pelevin, Novgorod MHL fast, physical 2-way D would be on everyone’s radar if he were taller than 5’11 and playing in North America or Scandinavia
65. C/LW Paul Ludwinski, Kingston OHL high-compete, two-way forward also possesses nice skill and has played himself out of Shane Wright’s enormous shadow
66. LD Isaiah George, London OHL almost absurdly athletic defender plays a physical, two-way brand of hockey and possesses enormous upside for a patient team which excels in development
67. LD Jackson Edward, London OHL big-time sleeper potential for a 6’2 shut-down guy with the skates and skills to produce more offense if he didn’t play such a defense-first style
68. LW Alex Bump, Prior Lake MINN USHS absurdly gifted athlete is several years away, but his speed/shooting combo could unveil themselves as elite traits in the eventual future
69. LW/C Adam Ingram, Youngstown USHL rangy, 6’3 forward is a deadly sniper and piles up points, but needs a great deal of refinement in his overall game over the next few years at St. Cloud State University
70. LW Dylan James, Sioux City USHL raw sleeper with great speed, a 6’0-185 frame and oozing skill; could see a huge jump in development next year at North Dakota
71. RW/C Daniil Bourosh, Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL top Belarus export for 2022 is a big, physical power forward with a thunderous shot and style of crease-crashing
72. LD Simon Forsmark, Orebro Sweden 6’2 silky-smooth defender has a lot of offensive skill but average skating might limit him to bottom 4
73. RW Gavin Hayes, Flint OHL firecracker forechecker has size (6’1-180) and quickness and wins over fans immediately with his high-compete, physical play and relentless puck pursuit; future bottom 6 beast
74. C Matthew Poitras, Guelph OHL slightly undersized (5’11-170) pivot can unlock 2nd line offensive potential if he can hone his 200-foot game
75. C Brennan Ali, Lincoln USHL fast and physical defense-first center will be an anchor for your bottom 6
76. C Pano Fimis, Niagara OHL high IQ/high compete center gets the most out of his abilities, even if his lack of size and high-end skating limit him to middle 6 aspirations; his playmaking and vision are outstanding
77. RW Maddox Fleming, Sioux Falls USHL raw, power forward likes to hit and crash creases, looks like a great 3rd liner but possesses intriguing offensive skill due to near-elite skating and some nice playmaking
78. C Topi Ronni, Tappara Finland 6’1-180 center skates extremely well and checks every box without particularly excelling in any singular area
79. RW/C Cameron Lund, Green Bay USHL 6’2-185 with outstanding skating, Lund is a very intriguing but raw prospect whose stock could go way up if he gains polish in the coming 4 years at Northeastern University
80. RW Cruz Lucius, US-NTDP Chaz’s younger brother has a great shot and playmaking ability, but may lack skating to play up those abilities at higher levels
81. C/RW Hunter Haight, Barrie OHL high IQ scorer knows how to find the soft spots and passing lanes, but may lack athleticism for a top 6 NHL role
82. LD Lane Hutson, US-NTDP I can write about this kid all day — may be the most talented offensive defenseman in the entire draft, but at 5’6-140 you wonder why he’s not playing forward. Gives great 2-way effort but can’t win puck battles for obvious reasons. He’s a dynamic skater and puck handler who should be at F 5x5 even if he’s a point man in PP situations.
83. LW Parker Bell, Tri-City WHL this 6’4-200 oak tree skates extremely well and possesses great upside if he can refine the ancillary elements of his game
84. LW Alexander Suzdalev, HV71 J20, Sweden Junior 6’1 with elite hands and tremendous tools across the board, but his defense is a big problem and his compete level can alarmingly waver
85. LD Mats Lindgren, Kamloops WHL outstanding offensive acumen in every respect, but Lindgren’s skates are just pretty good and the defensive game needs much refinement
86. C Filip Bystedt, Linkoping J20 Sweden Jr. 6’4 center has scored at every level and offers great upside as a 3rd line NHL pivot
87. RW Evan Konyen, Sudbury OHL speedy scorer plays with great pace and nice snipe, very underrated prospect for the mid-rounds
88. C/RW Ryan Greene, Green Bay USHL speedy pivot has excellent speed and projectable size at 6’2-175; PPG in USHL but complete game needs work — if this improves at Boston University, there is serious sleeper potential here
89. LD Jorian Donovan, Hamilton OHL 6’2-180 D plays offensive style with very good skates but has yet to produce statistically; could be because he’s one of the younger 2022 draft-eligibles
90. LW/C Fraser Minten, Kamloops WHL shut-down defensive F is perhaps the Jay Pandolfo-iest player for the 2022 draft; lacks speed but makes up for it with an insanely high hockey IQ — future NHL bottom 6 stud
91. LW Beau Jelsma, Barrie OHL undersized, maximum-effort forechecking demon can also snipe the puck — 27 goals in the OHL
92. LW/C Servac Petrovsky, Owen Sound OHL rounding out a banner Slovakian 2022 draft class, this sleeper is one of the youngest players for the 2022 draft and despite needing polish, pounded home 51 points in 63 OHL matches
93. C Liam Arnsby, North Bay OHL another unicorn — this 5’11-185 pivot is one of the most physical and adept defensive forwards in the 2022 class; not a big scorer but a rock for your bottom 6
94. LW/C Ilya Kvochko, Magnitogorsk MHL this is a player with 1st-round caliber offensive skills, but a 5’9-155 frame and lack of high-end skating cloud his projection
95. LW Michael La Starza, Sioux Falls USHL an absolutely dynamic skater, La Starza is one of the fastest players in the draft; his overall game needs work but he flashes intriguing offensive skill
96. RD Ty Nelson, North Bay OHL scores highlight reel goals and lays highlight reel hits with regularity, but you wonder where the meat is under all the potatoes when you see him regularly hurt his team with defensive play; the upside is there, the team-ethic needs work
97. C Cole Spicer, US-NTDP solid defensive center and team guy, lacks high-end skills but offers a very high floor
98. RD Elias Salomonsson, Skelleftea J20 Sweden Jr. the guy who can make anyone who passed on him look dumb or the team which drafted him look dumb; possesses every tool and athletic gift in the book, but inconsistent offensively and often disastrous in his own zone
99. C/LW Danny Zhilkin, Guelph OHL 6’2-185 pivot with great skates and shot, needs more commitment to defensive play and consistency of effort to allow his extraordinary abilities to truly shine through
100. LD Rodwin Dionicio, Niagara OHL the most interesting origin story in the draft, Dionicio has dual citizenship in Switzerland and New Jersey. He’s also an impossibly strong and physical 6’2-210 with very good puck skills who only lacks high-end skating. A potential big-time sleeper for 2022.

Thats quite the writeup you have here. And it will get even more in-depth?

Shoot, I may just have to buy you a six pack come draft weekend if this will be my mainstay for prospect information. Nothing this good should come free!

If the Devils are on the board after the bigger players are gone, would they entertain Frank Nazar at RW? Or is he too small a forward for us to be targeting

I know at this high in the draft you wouldnt ever skip a superb talent due to a few inches, but its curious to me considering our best offensemen are all sub-6'1"

 

[StevenToddIves]

Any reason why Slafkovsky’s Liiga numbers look to be somewhat underwhelming at face value? Other recent highly drafted prospects out of the Finnish league like Kakko, Barkov, and even Kotkaniemi seem to blow Slafkovsky out of the water during their draft years.

I've written about this at length. Slafkovsky was brought over from Slovakia, still unable to really speak the language. He tore up the Finland juniors and then was brought to Liiga. They used him initially in Liiga as a checking liner. After Slafkovsky's Olympics, they started utilizing him more in the top 6 and his numbers picked up considerably. The numbers are not a concern, in my mind. If Slafkovsky were playing in the OHL, I think he'd be up in the 100-point range.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Hey, @StevenToddIves in the event the first four picks are Wright, Slafkovsky, Nemec, and Jiricek, and NJ has a choice between Nazar and Gauthier with their pick would you still lean Gauthier and would you be happy with that pick?

I think I would try to trade down. But if that failed, I would draft Gauthier #5. He's one of the best pure scorers in the draft, and he plays precisely the kind of game the Devils need -- a power, interior forward. He's fast and competitive. Though Nazar or Cooley or Savoie might turn out to be better players, Gauthier gives the Devils the power forward for their top 6 they desperately need, while being perhaps the best available pure scorer after only Kemell.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Wouldn’t we sprint to the stage and take Cooley? Seems absurd to pass on him given where he’s ranked even considering our strength at C. I’d happily have the best center depth in the sport.

Final rankings aren't out yet. Cooley has plateaued a bit, while Nazar and Gauthier had huge finishes. I don't foresee Cooley having a consensus ranking higher than Slafkovsky by draft day, and I'm curious to see if he's still above Nazar.

If you watch Nazar, you'll see he's really special. I'm a big fan of Cooley, but his problem is playing too much on the perimeter, which is pretty much antithetical to the games of Nazar and Gauthier.

Again, and not to put down Cooley, but I can't see him being the Devils pick, no matter how the draft shakes out.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Maybe, I just recall at some point, maybe more than once, @StevenToddIves suggested that if the four obvious choices are gone he'd pick Gauthier, but that was long enough ago that he may have updated his rankings such that maybe he prefers someone else now. Maybe it's Cooley. Personally, my preference would be someone you can see playing with Hughes. I love Shara and he's much more than a placeholder to me, but is the perfect fit with Hughes? Or is a RW that pairs well with Shara and Hughes which frees Mercer to play center a better pick? Do you trade down and try to get two of the second tier of right handed defenders later in the first? Lots of questions. I guess until the draft order gets set you can't really have a concrete answer.

I have Cooley ranked #6 and Gauthier #7. The difference between them is not enough where I would not factor in team need. And the Devils need a Gauthier more than they need a Cooley. So yes, I would take Gauthier if it came down to a choice between the two.

Worst case scenario, I trade down a few spots and hope Gauthier is still there, and if not I take Chesley.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Definitely has the potential to be better offensively than Larsson. He has quicker feet and a better first few steps than Larsson but he isn’t as smooth and efficient of a skater as Larsson IMO. His stride is kind of a bit short and choppy.

Yeah, I don't see any way Jiricek isn't one of the better goal-scoring D in the league with that shot. It's immense. I think his Czech coaches -- who notoriously do not like defensemen to pinch in too much -- just tell him to wind it up whenever he's in space. I feel once Jiricek learns to utilize space better and pick his spots, he'll be even more of an offensive weapon.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Great job @StevenToddIves. Love your work as always. I love Noah Warren as well.

Thank you. I sincerely appreciate it. My rankings take a lot of work, and it's nice when I know it makes you guys happy.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Thanks. How would you compare his potential skating relative to our current core NHL defenders (i.e. Hamilton, Severson, Siegenthaler, and Graves). Worse than all of them?

Jiricek is no Luke Hughes, but he can certainly skate with all the guys you just mentioned.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Thank you! So you like Nemec over him?

I prefer Jiricek to Nemec, but it's close. Jiricek's physicality, puck skills, mobility and shot make him a rare player, and almost an ideal pairing for Luke Hughes down the road.

Can you imagine being an opposing defender and having to defend against Luke Hughes' ability to blow past you from a standstill from the blueline? So you push back, deeper into the zone. Once you do that, you're helpless to defend against Jiricek's howitzer.

Can you imagine being an opposing forward, and you have to figure out how to get past two huge guys with mobility and wing-span, one who can outskate you in any direction and the other who can lay you out if your head drops even for a moment?

These two would be deadly together. As such, I want Jiricek.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Thats quite the writeup you have here. And it will get even more in-depth?

Shoot, I may just have to buy you a six pack come draft weekend if this will be my mainstay for prospect information. Nothing this good should come free!

If the Devils are on the board after the bigger players are gone, would they entertain Frank Nazar at RW? Or is he too small a forward for us to be targeting

I know at this high in the draft you wouldnt ever skip a superb talent due to a few inches, but its curious to me considering our best offensemen are all sub-6'1"

If you want an in-depth write-up of any prospect on this list, just ask and I'll post it on this thread. This goes for all of you -- since it was important to me to give the HF Devils boards a really nice resource come draft day.

My Devils Wish List is probably a bit different than my rankings. I'd say it's Slafkovsky, Jiricek and Nemec at the top and then Gauthier. After Gauthier, it depends on where the Devils are drafting and who is available. I am obviously a huge fan of Nazar.

 

[Rydev]

If you want an in-depth write-up of any prospect on this list, just ask and I'll post it on this thread. This goes for all of you -- since it was important to me to give the HF Devils boards a really nice resource come draft day.

My Devils Wish List is probably a bit different than my rankings. I'd say it's Slafkovsky, Jiricek and Nemec at the top and then Gauthier. After Gauthier, it depends on where the Devils are drafting and who is available. I am obviously a huge fan of Nazar.

In the top-12 is there anyone thats similar to a Mitch Marner-esque player, but with maybe a 6'1" frame?

Im having a hard time picking an NHL player like that but essentially an average sized player whos mainly dishing more than shooting?

I ask because the last 3-4 years Ive been thinking we need scorers and high-end shooters. But lately Ive been thinking about what Holtz can be and with the goal totals of Jack this year, Im wondering if maybe we have enoufh goals throughout the lineup once we get going.

Holtz I think is the only consistent 40g potential on the team, with Jack being that in a huge year. But if you then have 30g scorers in Jack Sharangovich and one of Mercer/Bratt/Hischier season to season.. thats a lot of goals in your top-6 already, let alone adding the imaginary player this year I speak of.

Its probably easier to say that idt anyone besides Bratt in our club would be who someone considers a 'pure disher', like a Marner before this season or even more perfect an example a Nicklas Backstrom.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Thank you! So you like Nemec over him?

I personally do yes.

 

[StevenToddIves]

In the top-12 is there anyone thats similar to a Mitch Marner-esque player, but with maybe a 6'1" frame?

Im having a hard time picking an NHL player like that but essentially an average sized player whos mainly dishing more than shooting?

I ask because the last 3-4 years Ive been thinking we need scorers and high-end shooters. But lately Ive been thinking about what Holtz can be and with the goal totals of Jack this year, Im wondering if maybe we have enoufh goals throughout the lineup once we get going.

Holtz I think is the only consistent 40g potential on the team, with Jack being that in a huge year. But if you then have 30g scorers in Jack Sharangovich and one of Mercer/Bratt/Hischier season to season.. thats a lot of goals in your top-6 already, let alone adding the imaginary player this year I speak of.

Its probably easier to say that idt anyone besides Bratt in our club would be who someone considers a 'pure disher', like a Marner before this season or even more perfect an example a Nicklas Backstrom.

I'd say the Marner-est player in this draft (and it's still a lazy comparison on my part) would be Gleb Trikozov.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I personally do yes.

I love the point-counterpoint. I think when you and I discuss Nemec vs. Jiricek, I think it probably sounds very similar to what you'd actually hear in an NHL front office scouting meeting prior to the draft.

We need @Guadana to chime in here, too.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Anyone looking for potential draft-day steals, this list is a good reference.

Just so you guys have an idea of where I differ from the consensus, I wanted to provide another short list for you:

STI 1st rounders who are not 1st rounders according to the consensus:
23. C Owen Beck
28. LD Arseni Koromyslov
30. RD Sam Rinzel
31. LW Reid Schaefer

STI 2nd rounders who are later picks according to the consensus:
35. LW Adam Sykora
37. LW Viktor Neuchev
39. C Logan Morrison
44. RD Noah Warren
48. LW Kirill Dolzhenkov
50. LW Joel Jonsson
51. LW Mikey Milne
54. C Alex Kaskimaki
60. LD Tomas Hamara

STI 3rd rounders who are largely ignored by the consensus
67. LD Jackson Edward
68. LW Alex Bump
70. LW Dylan James
71. RW Daniil Bourosh
77. RW Maddox Fleming
87. RW Evan Konyen
91. LW Beau Jelsma
92. LW Servac Petrovsky
93. C Liam Arnsby
95. LW Michael La Starza

 

[My3Sons]

Anyone looking for potential draft-day steals, this list is a good reference.

Just so you guys have an idea of where I differ from the consensus, I wanted to provide another short list for you:

STI 1st rounders who are not 1st rounders according to the consensus:
23. C Owen Beck
28. LD Arseni Koroyslov
30. RD Sam Rinzel
31. LW Reid Schaefer

STI 2nd rounders who are later picks according to the consensus:
35. LW Adam Sykora
37. LW Viktor Neuchev
39. C Logan Morrison
44. RD Noah Warren
48. LW Kirill Dolzhenkov
50. LW Joel Jonsson
51. LW Mikey Milne
54. C Alex Kaskimaki
60. LD Tomas Hamara

STI 3rd rounders who are largely ignored by the consensus
67. LD Jackson Edward
68. LW Alex Bump
70. LW Dylan James
71. RW Daniil Bourosh
77. RW Maddox Fleming
87. RW Evan Konyen
91. LW Beau Jelsma
92. LW Servac Petrovsky
93. C Liam Arnsby
95. LW Michael La Starza

Please cross reference your list with @Guadana and then email it to Fitz and we should be good to go. Recommend thr trade down if NJ finishes seven and the two right defenders and Slafkovsky are gone and we have the draft sorted subject to an opportunity that arises later. Thanks and I’ll tell Castron we can work with you two and he can let the guys who picked Vilen Edwards Baumgartner and Shlaine make those picks for another NHL team.

 

[HobokenIrish]

Love these posts @StevenToddIves

Really appreciate the time and the effort

 

[Guadana]

Please cross reference your list with @Guadana and then email it to Fitz and we should be good to go. Recommend thr trade down if NJ finishes seven and the two right defenders and Slafkovsky are gone and we have the draft sorted subject to an opportunity that arises later. Thanks and I’ll tell Castron we can work with you two and he can let the guys who picked Vilen Edwards Baumgartner and Shlaine make those picks for another NHL team.

hm... It could be only a couple of scouts. One work with future students, another work with North\Western Europe.

 

[Guttersniped]

Ok, a lot of players, here. But I'll give a guesstimate of where they'll all go.

Kulich: very possible 1st round pick in the 20-32 range. Though his McKenzie ranking (normally the most accurate because it's a 10 scout poll) has him outside the 1st round at #40 overall, he's fast and skilled and many like him as much as I do. I have him relatively high at #20 overall, but Smart Scouting has him even higher at #18. His speed, skill and compete will likely see a scouting staff or two fall in love with him, so I'd guess he's a late first rounder. If he falls, I doubt it will be past the #30-#35 range.

Rohrer: his consensus ranking is in the 3rd round, and his lack of size (5'11-170) and elite speed could see him fall into the 4th. He'd be a steal there in my book, but it's feasible. My best guess is he'll go mid-3rd.

Donovan: he's a defenseman with both size and speed, which is why I feel McKenzie's #50 ranking is probably about accurate, and he could go 10-15 picks higher. He won't fall far past the early 3rd round in any scenario.

Petrovsky: he's what I'd call a "super sleeper", and the fact he's only weeks away from the 2023 draft makes him extremely intriguing. He's a guy who could fall really late and be a big steal there, although a team with strong scouting could take him as early as the 4th.

Sykora: I can write for days on how much I love this player. I discovered him while scouting Nemec and he's just so underrated it's almost ridiculous. I think he's the second youngest player in the entire 2022 draft. He's not even on Mckenzie's honorable mentions list. He could fall to the 5th/6th rounds and, to be honest, I consider him an outright steal by the mid-2nd. I think if he were born a week later he'd be a 1st round pick in 2023.

I feel like Sykora will go earlier than that, but I would love to grab him with a later pick.

Warren is another guy I’m pretty interested in. (And by that I mean Fitz needs to give him to me.)

Reid Schaefer is intriguing as well if doesn’t go too early because his defense is highly touted, I don’t know if that was true about Tom Wilson back in the day. (He’s probably not as scary as the Juniors version of Wilson but few are.)

 

[StevenToddIves]

I feel like Sykora will go earlier than that, but I would love to grab him with a later pick.

Warren is another guy I’m pretty interested in. (And by that I mean Fitz needs to give him to me.)

Reid Schaefer is intriguing as well if doesn’t go too early because his defense is highly touted, I don’t know if that was true about Tom Wilson back in the day. (He’s probably not as scary as the Juniors version of Wilson but few are.)

Warren will go earlier than where he is ranked. We see it every year with big, mobile defensive defensemen. Even if he is purposefully ignored by several draft writers (but he doesn't score!) the NHL scouts love these guys. The Devils will have to grab him in the 3rd round, and he could even go in the 2nd. It's no surprise his highest ranking is the McKenzie scout-poll ranking, which has him at #59.

Sykora is interesting. I think the fact he's 5'10-170 could lower his draft range, even though he's ultra-competitive and pretty physical and skates extremely well. He's another kid you cross your fingers and hope he's available in the 3rd round, but I think he has more potential to fall than Warren.

Schaefer is the guy out of these three I would take in the 2nd. He's 6'3-215 and maybe the most physical forward in the WHL, he plays great two-way hockey and scored 32 goals in the WHL. I'd say his upside is in the Tom Wilson range and his downside is in the Zack Kassian range. Boy, can the Devils benefit from this... probably more than any team in the NHL, give or take Toronto.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I feel like Sykora will go earlier than that, but I would love to grab him with a later pick.

Warren is another guy I’m pretty interested in. (And by that I mean Fitz needs to give him to me.)

Reid Schaefer is intriguing as well if doesn’t go too early because his defense is highly touted, I don’t know if that was true about Tom Wilson back in the day. (He’s probably not as scary as the Juniors version of Wilson but few are.)

I wanted to talk more about Adam Sykora, because he has several of the elements which we'd been discussing (using Bratt) of the prototypical sleeper forward.

1. Overlooked Production: playing in the Slovakian men's league -- more competitive than given credit for and tough defensively -- Sykora's 10 goals have been completely ignored by most of the stat-based draft evaluators. Is this understandable? Well, sure -- 10 goals is not exactly awe-inspiring. But if we look back on the entire history of the Slovakian men's league, guess how many U18 forwards have topped this total? If you guessed two, you win the prize. And those two players are not exactly scrubs -- Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik.

2. Overcome-able Adversity: going back to #1, Sykora is the one of the 5 youngest players in the entire Slovakian men's league. He missed the 2023 draft by a week. And he's one of the better two-way forwards on his team, while still producing respectable offense. Sure this would be shrug-worthy if we were talking about a top-15 pick, but Sykora has been left off several top 100 lists. How is this possible?

3. Correctable Flaws: Sykora's #1 problem is a lack of upper body and core strength relative to his competition. He's still growing into his 17 year old body and playing against grown men. This is especially notable because of his interior style of play, which requires more physicality. His shot power, which is average, and his skating explosiveness, which is already good, can also be improved with greater core strength. I feel these can all be alleviated in the weight room. His other flaws are experience/age related as well -- over-reacting to the puck on defense, trying to do too much himself on offense.

4. Superficial Knocks Against: what I often ask with 5'10-170 forwards is where would they be drafted if they were exactly the same player at 6'2-200? This especially applies to Sykora, who plays an interior style. I honestly think he'd be ranked in many 1st round ratings if he were the same player, only bigger.

5. High-end tools: Sykora is a great skater, with elite compete level and near-elite hockey IQ. He plays relentless on the forecheck and back check, he's always playing with pace. He's a strong two-way forward. He has outstanding hands and very good -- and steadily improving -- passing vision. His shot needs work on the power, but he has a nice release and very good accuracy. Sykora, quite simply, has all the elements of a two-way, 2nd line scoring winger and all the intangibles necessary to get the most out of his abilities. His compete gives him a high floor as a third-liner.

If Adam Sykora were born just days later, he'd be eligible for the 2023 draft. And if he improves to even a reasonable degree, we can say he'd have 1st round consideration next year. Were he just a bit bigger, he might have 1st round consideration this year. So why is he invisible in many of the rankings? Here are Adam Sykora's top rankings thus far:

Ives:#35
Smaht Scouting: #48
Recruit: #56
Draft Prospects: #73
FC Hockey: #100

...and that's it. I haven't seen him ranked anywhere by anyone else. But he has so many sleeper elements, it's almost overkill. He's produced, he's skilled, he's fast, he's high-intangibles and self-motivated, his flaws are correctable and the knocks against him are silly. I'd love to see the Devils take him in the 3rd round, and if he falls to the 4th or later he's an absolute steal.

 

[Guttersniped]

I wanted to talk more about Adam Sykora, because he has several of the elements which we'd been discussing (using Bratt) of the prototypical sleeper forward.

1. Overlooked Production: playing in the Slovakian men's league -- more competitive than given credit for and tough defensively -- Sykora's 10 goals have been completely ignored by most of the stat-based draft evaluators. Is this understandable? Well, sure -- 10 goals is not exactly awe-inspiring. But if we look back on the entire history of the Slovakian men's league, guess how many U18 forwards have topped this total? If you guessed two, you win the prize. And those two players are not exactly scrubs -- Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik.

2. Overcome-able Adversity: going back to #1, Sykora is the one of the 5 youngest players in the entire Slovakian men's league. He missed the 2023 draft by a week. And he's one of the better two-way forwards on his team, while still producing respectable offense. Sure this would be shrug-worthy if we were talking about a top-15 pick, but Sykora has been left off several top 100 lists. How is this possible?

3. Correctable Flaws: Sykora's #1 problem is a lack of upper body and core strength relative to his competition. He's still growing into his 17 year old body and playing against grown men. This is especially notable because of his interior style of play, which requires more physicality. His shot power, which is average, and his skating explosiveness, which is already good, can also be improved with greater core strength. I feel these can all be alleviated in the weight room. His other flaws are experience/age related as well -- over-reacting to the puck on defense, trying to do too much himself on offense.

4. Superficial Knocks Against: what I often ask with 5'10-170 forwards is where would they be drafted if they were exactly the same player at 6'2-200? This especially applies to Sykora, who plays an interior style. I honestly think he'd be ranked in many 1st round ratings if he were the same player, only bigger.

5. High-end tools: Sykora is a great skater, with elite compete level and near-elite hockey IQ. He plays relentless on the forecheck and back check, he's always playing with pace. He's a strong two-way forward. He has outstanding hands and very good -- and steadily improving -- passing vision. His shot needs work on the power, but he has a nice release and very good accuracy. Sykora, quite simply, has all the elements of a two-way, 2nd line scoring winger and all the intangibles necessary to get the most out of his abilities. His compete gives him a high floor as a third-liner.

If Adam Sykora were born just days later, he'd be eligible for the 2023 draft. And if he improves to even a reasonable degree, we can say he'd have 1st round consideration next year. Were he just a bit bigger, he might have 1st round consideration this year. So why is he invisible in many of the rankings? Here are Adam Sykora's top rankings thus far:

Ives:#35
Smaht Scouting: #48
Recruit: #56
Draft Prospects: #73
FC Hockey: #100

...and that's it. I haven't seen him ranked anywhere by anyone else. But he has so many sleeper elements, it's almost overkill. He's produced, he's skilled, he's fast, he's high-intangibles and self-motivated, his flaws are correctable and the knocks against him are silly. I'd love to see the Devils take him in the 3rd round, and if he falls to the 4th or later he's an absolute steal.

Scouching currently has him #42 and is a big fan.

He has Schaefer #84 and Warren #87.

Schaefer seems low. I don’t go to “high floor” often because, yes, every non-top elite player’s floor is “not a pro-hockey player” but he has pretty high floor for non 1st rounder.

Size/physicality, scoring, two-way play with hockey IQ, there’s a lot to like.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Appreciate and respect the work you put into these every year.