The 2022 NHL Draft is days away. By now, any illusion about what the top of this draft class is has faded and there is an emerging clarity about the lack of clarity. This may be a below-average draft, but below-average drafts still produce NHL stars, though they don’t always come from the most predictable places.
Today I’m updating my 2022 draft board for the last time, with several tweaks to my update a month ago based on the latest youth games, information gathered from the combination, conversations with browsers, and additional video work over the past few weeks.
A summary of the changes made:
- Nathan Gaucher increased several places within level 4
- Reid Schaefer was raised to level 4
- Rutger McGroarty was promoted to level 4
- Nosh Ostlund and Mattias Havelid were elevated to level 4
- Ryan Greene was raised to level 5
- Connor McClennon, who was previously ineligible, was added to the latter, at level 5
- Jordan Gustafson was raised to level 5
- Owen Beck was dropped to level 5
- Angus Booth, Dominic James and Tucker Robertson were added to level 6
NHL All-Star Projected Bubble and Top Lineup Player (Level 1)
1. Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, Tps (FINLAND)
March 30, 2004 | 6 ′ 3.5 ″ | 218 pounds | Shoot to the left
Level: NHL All-Star Projected Bubble and top lineup player
Skating: NHL Average Disc Skills: Above NHL Average Hockey Sense: NHL Average Compete: NHL Average Shooting: Above NHL Average
Comparable player: Rick Nash
Background: Slafkovsky was a regular player for one of the best clubs in the League at TPS this season, albeit without a great overall production. He was named MVP of the Olympic Games where he played an important role in Slovakia winning a bronze medal. He was named one of the three best played by Slovakia at the World Championships. He played a notable role in Slovakia’s under-20 team that beat Sweden by a margin of 2: 1 in a youth world match. He played for Slovakia in the World Cup as an under-17 player. He was one of the best players on the Slovakia under-20 team at the age of 16 and one of the best players on the Finnish youth team in 2021.
Analysis: Slafkovsky has all the assets you are looking for in an NHL striker. He is a 6-foot, 4-foot winger who can beat opponents with speed and skill. He possesses exceptional skills with the discs and can put the discs through his legs and sticks at a very high pace. Slafkovsky can use delicacy, or power and speed to avoid defenders. Slafkovsky can also set up and finish plays well. Physically, he won’t run over the boys, but his competition is good enough. He projects himself as a front-line winger with the potential to pop and become a true NHL star.
2. Shane Wright, C, Kingston (OHL)
January 5, 2004 | 6 ′ 0.25 ″ | 191 pounds | Shoot well
Level: NHL All-Star Projected Bubble and top lineup player
Skating: NHL Average Disc Skills: NHL Average Hockey Sense: Above NHL Average Competing: Above NHL Average Shooting: Above NHL Average
Comparable player: Mika Zibanejad
Background: Wright was the captain and one of Kingston’s best players. He finished 8th in OHL scoring. It was a two-line center for Canada’s under-20 team in the youth world. He scored nine goals and 14 points in five games in the under-18 world as an under-17 player, leading Canada to gold. He was granted exceptional status to play in the OHL when he was 15, where he scored 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games.
Analysis: Wright is a very complete center who has no noticeable flaws in his skill set, but there’s not much in his game that excites you too much. He can skate and handle the puck like an NHL player. Wright’s gameplay translates to his competitive and direct style of play. Bring the discs to the net and play fast. He can get up to make a hard pass, but he can also carry discs inside. It has the high-end vision to run a power game unit and make difficult moves with pace. His shot is very good, demonstrating the ability to take long-distance corners consistently. Off the record he is competitive and responsible, demonstrating maturity beyond his years. He is projected as a No. 1 center in the NHL because of his full game with chances of being a star, but he probably won’t be an elite goal scorer in the league.
Projected top lineup player (level 2)
3. Logan Cooley, C, USA U-18 (NTDP)
May. 4, 2004 | 5 ′ 10.25 ″ | 174 pounds | Shoot to the left
Level: The projected top of the lineup player
Skating: Above NHL Average Disc Skills: Above NHL Average Hockey Sense: Above NHL Average Competing: Above NHL Average Shooting: Above of the NHL average
Comparable player: Brayden Point
Background: Cooley has been the leading player in the 2004 age group for the USNTDP for the past two years, though his pure production doesn’t leave you speechless. He formed the U.S. World Junior Team when he was 17 in a major role as his No. 2 center with strength playing time. He was a great striker in the Under-18 World Cup. He was also a prominent player on the under-18 team at 16 years old. He is committed to the University of Minnesota.
Analysis: Cooley is a dynamic player. When you have the puck on the stick, you instantly watch it for its speed, skill, and offensive IQ. You can make dekes and very creative passes at full speed. The pace of his game is why I think he will be a prominent NHL player. He carries discs on the ice and on the net often. Cooley lacks size, but plays hard. It can propel the game with the same force, while having the vision and the shot of being a threat of power play by running a unit from the walls. He is projected as a front-line striker; as a center, it would be a low-end first-line center in the NHL.
4. David Jiricek, D, Pilsen (CZREP)
November 28, 2003 | 6 ′ 3.0 ″ | 189 pounds | Shoot well
Level: The projected top of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL Average Disc Skills: NHL Average Hockey Sense: NHL Average Competing: Above NHL Average Shooting: Above NHL Average
Comparable player: Alex Pietrangelo
Background: Jiricek played a notable role in a good Czech league team and looked very good in front of the men, before a knee injury in the world’s juniors knocked him out for the second half. Since then, he has returned to training and was invited to the Czech national team. He played with the Czech senior team in the Karjala Cup and the World Championship. He was also named one of the best Czech players in the 2021 junior world despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament.
Analysis: Jiricek is a great right-handed defender who makes an impact at both ends of the court. He has a great individual ability to make opponents lose. You combine it with very good vision and a hard point, and within the offensive zone you can make a lot of things happen and be dangerous in a game of strength. His skating won’t dazzle, but because of his size he moves well enough. What looks like your skating after knee surgery is something to control. He shows a certain ability to get away from the controls, but he doesn’t have an ideal speed and burst for the NHL level. Despite this, he defends well for his range and a high level of physical play, often punishing the opposing strikers with his body. It is projected as a first-level defense.
Simon Nemec. (Images of Mario Men / DeFodi via Getty Images)
5. Simon Nemec, D, Nitra (SLOVAKIA)
February 15, 2004 | 6 ′ 0.0 ″ | 190 pounds | Shoot well
Level: The projected top of the lineup player
Skating: NHL Average Disc Skills: NHL Average Hockey Sense: Above NHL Average Competing: Above NHL Average
Comparable player: Mackenzie Weegar
Background: Nemec played significant minutes against men in Slovakia over the past two seasons. He has extensive international experience. He scored 17 points in 19 games with his club’s team in Slovakia. He has already played in two juniors in the world, and on two occasions was among the best players in Slovakia. He has participated in two World Championships, including 6 points in 8 games in this year’s tournament. He was the best defender at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer and at the Olympics this season.
Analysis: Nemec is a very complete defender. His record game is fantastic. He has a high-end brain to make many difficult plays often. Nemec can hit seams, make pressure plays and make a great starting pass. It also shows an individual ability that, combined with a good speed, also allows you to be dangerous in the transition. Defensively he is solid for his skating, competition and brains, although he is not physically imposing and can be trusted with tough responsibilities. Nemec is projected as the best defense.
Projected top and middle bubble of the lineup player (level 3)
6. Cutter Gauthier, LW, USA U-18 (NTDP)
January 19, 2004 | 6 ′ 2.25 ″ | 189 pounds | Shoot to the left
Level: The top and middle of the player’s projected lineup bubble
Skating: NHL Average Disc Skills: NHL Average Hockey Sense: NHL Average Competition: Above NHL Average Shooting: High Range
Comparable player: JT Miller
Background: Gauthier was a versatile and important player for the U.S. NTDP this season, often playing on both special teams, lining up on the sidelines and center for complete games according to his roster. He became a benchmark player as the season progressed, aligning with Cooley’s band and playing PP1. He is committed to Boston College.
Analysis: Gauthier has the tools that can make you easily imagine him in the NHL. He has a 6 foot 2 foot thick structure and can skate like an NHL player. With his size and speed he can dominate opponents to force losses or in how he attacks the net and turns him into an asset in the PK. Gauthier can create with his skating and skill, but his main offensive weapon is his shooting. He can take corners from a distance with a powerful shot to the wrist. I didn’t love his game from the start, but that part of his game grew on me as the season progressed, especially as he made moving passes. I see a very good forward potential among the top six, either in the center or on the wing, with chances of exploding and becoming a true top of the lineup.
7. Joakim Kemell, RW, Jyp (FINLAND)
Apr 27 2004 | 5 ′ 10.75 ″ | 171 pounds | Shoot well
Level: The top and middle of the player’s projected lineup bubble
Skating: NHL Average Puck Skills: NHL Average Hockey Sense: …