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July 10, 2022

Broad Strokes: Breaking down the best picks at the 2022 NHL Draft

The 2022 NHL Draft came to an end on Friday and with each team adding a new crop of prospects into their organization it’s time to look at some of the more valuable picks that each organization made.

Keep in mind that this isn’t the “best prospect” each team selected but rather the prospect that I think has the best mix of value and talent.

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have had a knack for finding great value with their draft classes lately and they had a strong class again this year. For their best value pick, I think Tristan Luneau was a fantastic pick in the second round (No. 53). At one-point Luneau was a potential first-round talent but injuries riddled his season and cause him to miss a decent amount of time. If Luneau can return to his top form, the Ducks got a potential top-four defenseman in the second round, adding another talented blue liner to a group consisting of Jamie Drysdale, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and  Noah Warren.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 10 ANA Pavel Mintyukov D 10 SAGINAW OHL 6-1 197 L 6 NA
1 22 ANA Nathan Gaucher C 29 QUEBEC QMJHL 6-3 207 R 16 NA
2 42 ANA Noah Warren D 68 GATINEAU QMJHL 6-5 216 R 33 NA
2 53 ANA Tristan Luneau D 34 GATINEAU QMJHL 6-2 188 R 24 NA
4 107 ANA Ben King C 224 RED DEER WHL 6-3 205 R 96 NA
5 139 ANA Connor Hvidston LW 245 SWIFT CURRENT WHL 6-2 164 L 107 NA
5 154 ANA Michael Callow RW NR ST. SEBASTIANS HIGH-MA 6-4 181 R 131 NA
6 178 ANA Vyacheslav Buteyets G NR CHELMET RUS-2 6-4 185 L NR NR

Arizona Coyotes

The Arizona Coyotes made 10 picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, so they have a lot of options here. To me it comes down to Logan Cooley (No. 3) and Julian Lutz (No. 43). I’ll go with Cooley by the smallest of margins. He was in consideration for the first overall pick, and was the top-ranked prospect by some people in the scouting community. By taking him over Shane Wright, the Coyotes signaled that they had him as their top center in this year’s class and picking him up at third overall was great value by Arizona. With Cooley, the Coyotes have a potential No. 1 center and add another talented prospect to a pool already consisting of Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, Barrett Hayton and more. Arizona nailed their top pick and made some other fantastic picks at this year’s draft.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 3 ARI Logan Cooley C 2 USA U-18 NTDP 5-10 174 L 2 NA
1 11 ARI Conor Geekie C 26 WINNIPEG WHL 6-3 196 L 5 NA
1 29 ARI Maveric Lamoureux D 39 DRUMMONDVILLE QMJHL 6-7 197 R 20 NA
2 36 ARI Artyom Duda D 75 CSKA 2 RUS-JR. 6-1 187 L 28 EU
2 43 ARI Julian Lutz LW 36 MUNCHEN GERMANY 6-2 185 L 30 EU
3 67 ARI Miko Matikka RW 87 JOKERIT JR. FIN-JR. 6-3 187 R 32 EU
3 94 ARI Jeremy Langlois D 91 CAPE BRETON QMJHL 6-0 186 L 60 NA
5 131 ARI Matthew Morden D NR ST. ANDREWS COLLEGE HIGH-ON 6-4 203 L 190 NA
6 163 ARI Maksymilian Szuber D NR MUNCHEN GERMANY 6-3 190 L NR NR
7 204 ARI Adam Zlnka RW NR SIOUX FALLS USHL 6-0 173 R NR NR

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins didn’t pick until the second round and, as good as Matthew Poitras is, I think they got even better value in the fourth round when they took Cole Spicer at No. 117. Spicer was the 90th-ranked skater in FCHockey’s Final ranking for the 2022 draft, and to get him 27 spots below that was tidy work by general manager Don Sweeney and the Bruins’ scouting staff. With Spicer they get a talented goal scorer who will brings great versatility and work ethic to the ice. Boston has had some hiccups in their recent draft history, but Spicer in the fourth round could go down as one of their more underrated selections.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 54 BOS Matthew Poitras C 45 GUELPH OHL 5-11 174 R 45 NA
4 117 BOS Cole Spicer C 90 USA U-18 NTDP 5-10 175 L 121 NA
4 119 BOS Dans Locmelis C 179 LULEA JR. SWE-JR. 6-0 170 L NR NR
5 132 BOS Frederic Brunet D 183 RIMOUSKI QMJHL 6-2 176 L 113 NA
6 183 BOS Reid Dyck G 120 SWIFT CURRENT WHL 6-3 190 L 8 NA
7 200 BOS Jackson Edward D 294 LONDON OHL 6-3 186 L 123 NA

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres had a strong 2022 NHL Draft, their three first-rounders Matthew Savoie, Noah Ostlund, and Jiri Kulich were all strong selections. They went a little off the board grabbing Topias Leinonen — the first goalie taken, and at No. 41 — but it was their 74th overall selection that I loved the most. Viktor Neuchev is a high-ceiling prospect who just knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. He scored 40 goals in MHL action, while no one else on his team had more than 16 goals. There’s a risk involved as we all know, but if Neuchev continues to develop and makes his way to North American he could be a steal for Buffalo.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 9 BUF Matthew Savoie C 13 WINNIPEG WHL 5-9 175 R 4 NA
1 16 BUF Noah Ostlund C 24 DJURGARDEN JR. SWE-JR. 5-11 163 L 18 EU
1 28 BUF Jiri Kulich C 27 KARLOVY VARY CZE 6-0 172 L 13 EU
2 41 BUF Topias Leinonen G 151 JYP JR. FIN-JR. 6-4 214 L 1 EU
3 74 BUF Viktor Neuchev LW 58 YEKATERINBURG 2 RUS-JR. 6-2 165 L 34 EU
4 106 BUF Mats Lindgren D 78 KAMLOOPS WHL 5-11 173 L 47 NA
5 134 BUF Vsevolod Komarov D 232 QUEBEC QMJHL 6-2 182 R 170 NA
6 170 BUF Jake Richard RW NR MUSKEGON USHL 6-1 171 R NR NR
6 187 BUF Gustav Karlsson C 238 OREBRO JR. SWE-JR. 6-1 165 L 59 EU
7 202 BUF Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson RW 215 FROLUNDA JR. SWE-JR. 6-0 179 L NR NR
7 211 BUF Linus Sjodin C NR ROGLE SWEDEN 6-0 193 L NR NR

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames only had three selections in this year’s class and I think they reached on two of the three. While Topi Ronni and Parker Bell can be nice prospects, their value didn’t really match up with where they were selected in my mind. I think they did a solid job with their seventh-round pick Cade Littler though. The center from Wenatchee of the BCHL was taken at No. 219, but was ranked 201st in FC’s final rankings. While the Flames are a talented roster, they are in danger of potentially losing a few key pieces and needed to do a little better with their minimal draft capital, but Littler was a nice gamble in the final round in my opinion.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 59 CGY Topi Ronni C 105 TAPPARA JR. FIN-JR. 6-2 179 L 31 EU
5 155 CGY Parker Bell LW 261 TRI-CITY WHL 6-4 192 L 112 NA
7 219 CGY Cade Littler C 201 WENATCHEE BCHL 6-3 197 R 187 NA

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have been great when it comes to drafting value in recent years and this year was no different. Carolina nabbed a potential first-round talent in the second round when they grabbed Gleb Trikozov. Trikozov, ranked No. 21, was drafted with the 60th overall pick and could be a home run for Carolina. Other factors came into play, but the Russian issue likely played the biggest role in Trikozov’s fall, but the Hurricanes haven’t been shy about drafting Russians and this year was no different. They always seem to swing for the fences with their picks and while it’s way too early to declare it a home run…it’s hard to say anything negative about drafting a potential first-round talent late in the second round.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 60 CAR Gleb Trikozov LW 21 OMSK 2 RUS-JR. 6-1 185 R 15 EU
3 71 CAR Alexander Perevalov LW 69 YAROSLAVL 2 RUS-JR. 6-0 191 R 14 EU
4 101 CAR Simon Forsmark D 50 OREBRO SWEDEN 6-2 191 L 33 EU
4 124 CAR Cruz Lucius RW 63 USA U-18 NTDP 6-0 178 R 41 NA
5 156 CAR Vladimir Grudinin D 47 CSKA 2 RUS-JR. 5-10 158 L 53 EU
6 171 CAR Jakub Vondras G NR PLZEN JR. CZ-JR. 6-3 180 R 10 EU
7 205 CAR Alexander Pelevin D 54 NIZHNEKAMSK RUS-JR. 6-1 183 L 78 EU

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks were extremely busy at the NHL Draft, acquiring a ton of draft picks with their roster decisions. While Frank Nazar, Kevin Korchinski, and Paul Ludwinski are all worthy options options, I’ll give the nod to the No. 25 pick in Sam Rinzel. Rinzel has everything you want in a prospect, he has a raw skillset that can be molded into a potential stud blue liner and he has the physical traits that all NHL GMs love. It will take some time and a lot of work to get him where he needs to be, but if everything works out Rinzel could be an excellent pick at the back half of the first round for the Blackhawks. 

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 7 CHI Kevin Korchinski D 8 SEATTLE WHL 6-2 185 L 7 NA
1 13 CHI Frank Nazar C 7 USA U-18 NTDP 5-10 175 R 21 NA
1 25 CHI Sam Rinzel D 62 CHASKA HIGH-MN 6-4 177 R 19 NA
2 39 CHI Paul Ludwinski C 52 KINGSTON OHL 5-11 176 L 49 NA
2 57 CHI Ryan Greene C 168 GREEN BAY USHL 6-1 174 R 46 NA
3 66 CHI Gavin Hayes LW 83 FLINT OHL 6-2 177 R 51 NA
3 81 CHI Samuel Savoie LW 101 GATINEAU QMJHL 5-10 189 L 90 NA
3 90 CHI Aidan Thompson C NR LINCOLN USHL 5-10 180 L NR NR
6 173 CHI Dominic James C NR MINNESOTA-DULUTH NCAA 5-9 148 L NR NR
6 188 CHI Nils Juntorp LW 246 HV 71 JR. SWE-JR. 6-1 185 R NR NR
7 199 CHI Riku Tohila C NR JYP JR. FIN-JR. 6-5 167 R NR NR

Colorado Avalanche

The defending champion Colorado Avalanche only had two picks in this class after trading all their picks away to stock up for their cup run so it’s tough to pick a favorite, but I really liked Ivan Zhigalov. His numbers in Sherbrooke aren’t eye-popping but with his size and athleticism he could turn into a decent prospect for the Avs in the future.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
6 193 COL Christopher Romaine D NR MILTON ACADEMY HIGH-MA 6-0 190 R 114 NA
7 225 COL Ivan Zhigalov G 125 SHERBROOKE QMJHL 6-3 167 R 2 NA

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets had an awesome first round, and draft class overall.  I loved grabbing David Jiricek at sixth overall for a variety of reasons. He was one of the top available players in this class and adding him to their pool was great work by Jarmo Kekalainen.  The other reason I love this pick is because it was gifted them by the Blackhawks in the Seth Jones trade. The Blue Jackets were able to grab one of the better players in this class and it was with a pick that wasn’t originally theirs so I think it was a massive win for Columbus.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 6 CBJ David Jiricek D 5 PLZEN CZE 6-3 189 R 4 EU
1 12 CBJ Denton Mateychuk D 17 MOOSE JAW WHL 5-11 188 L 14 NA
2 44 CBJ Luca Del Bel Belluz C 43 MISSISSAUGA OHL 6-1 175 L 8 NA
3 96 CBJ Jordan Dumais RW 86 HALIFAX QMJHL 5-8 165 R 73 NA
4 109 CBJ Kirill Dolzhenkov RW 126 CSKA 2 RUS-JR. 6-6 234 L 22 EU
5 138 CBJ Sergei Ivanov G 161 SKA ST. PETERSBURG 2 RUS-JR. 5-11 165 L NR NR
7 203 CBJ James Fisher RW NR BELMONT HILL HIGH-MA 6-2 170 R 99 NA

Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars grabbed Christian Kyrou with the No. 50 pick and that was my favorite pick of the entire draft. Kyrou is a player I am willing to go to battle for, as he’s an excellent skating blue liner who can drive transition play and put up points from the backend. I love his skillset and how his game will translate to the next level, Dallas needs more exciting players and Kyrou is definitely an exciting player. I think Dallas fans will love this player and it won’t take long for them to realize it.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 18 DAL Lian Bichsel D 28 LEKSAND SWEDEN 6-5 216 L 9 EU
2 50 DAL Christian Kyrou D 74 ERIE OHL 5-10 182 R 48 NA
3 83 DAL George Fegaras D 192 NORTH YORK OJHL 6-1 188 R 82 NA
4 115 DAL Gavin White D 138 HAMILTON OHL 6-0 181 R NR NR
5 147 DAL Maxim Mayorov G NR TOGLIATTI 2 RUS-JR. 6-6 196 L NR NR
6 179 DAL Matthew Seminoff RW 107 KAMLOOPS WHL 5-11 180 R 72 NA

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings added a number of solid prospects to their organization at this year’s draft but  I think Marco Kasper at No. 8 was my favorite selection of theirs. He was my surprise top-10 candidate before the draft kicked off and I think he will mesh with Detroit perfectly. He has great offensive tools and a relentless work ethic that will not be matched. Steve Yzerman is never shy of going a little off the board with his picks and has had amazing success, I think Kasper will continue that trend.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 8 DET Marco Kasper C 16 ROGLE SWEDEN 6-1 183 L 5 EU
2 40 DET Dylan James LW NR SIOUX CITY USHL 6-0 177 L NR NR
2 52 DET Dmitri Buchelnikov LW 113 SKA ST. PETERSBURG 2 RUS-JR. 5-10 168 R NR NR
4 105 DET Anton Johansson D NR LEKSAND JR. SWE-JR. 6-4 172 R 68 EU
4 113 DET Amadeus Lombardi C NR FLINT OHL 5-10 165 L 94 NA
4 129 DET Maximilian Kilpinen LW NR OREBRO JR. SWE-JR. 6-0 165 L 61 EU
5 137 DET Tnias Mathurin D 170 NORTH BAY OHL 6-3 200 L 126 NA
7 201 DET Owen Mehlenbacher C NR MUSKEGON USHL 6-2 189 L NR NR
7 212 DET Brennan Ali C 141 AVON OLD FARMS HIGH-CT 6-0 193 L 83 NA

Edmonton Oilers

Reid Schaefer may have been drafted earlier than he was predicted to, but I love what the Edmonton Oilers are getting in him. He had great production in the WHL during his draft year and brings tremendous size and strength to the Oilers prospect pool. The Oilers only had one pick in the first four rounds, and I really like what Schaefer can bring to them in the future.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 32 EDM Reid Schaefer LW 55 SEATTLE WHL 6-3 213 L 31 NA
5 158 EDM Samuel Jonsson G NR BRYNAS JR. SWE-JR. 6-3 190 L NR NR
6 190 EDM Nikita Yevseyev D NR BARS KAZAN RUS-2 6-1 187 L 80 EU
7 222 EDM Joel Maatta C NR VERMONT H-EAST 6-1 200 L NR NR

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers had no picks in the first two rounds, but that didn’t matter because they grabbed a really strong talent with the No. 221 pick in Jack Devine. A member of the NCAA Champions, Devine has great playmaking and work ethic that will endear him to his teammates and coaches. He was ranked No. 77 in FCHockey’s final rankings so getting him in the seventh round is tremendous value for the Panthers.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
3 93 FLA Marek Alscher D 106 PORTLAND WHL 6-3 196 L 177 NA
4 125 FLA Ludvig Jansson D 92 SODERTALJE SWE-2 6-0 176 R 35 EU
5 157 FLA Sandis Vilmanis LW 248 LULEA JR. SWE-JR. 6-1 192 L 39 EU
6 186 FLA Josh Davies LW 203 SWIFT CURRENT WHL 5-10 197 L 69 NA
6 189 FLA Tyler Muszelik G 194 USA U-18 NTDP 6-3 195 L 4 NA
7 221 FLA Jack Devine RW 77 DENVER NCHC 5-11 173 R 65 NA

Los Angeles Kings

Already owning one of the better prospect pools in the NHL, the Los Angeles Kings grabbed a great prospect at No. 51 when they drafted Jack Hughes from Northeastern. I love Hughes’ game. He’s a great two-way player who has strong puck skills and can impact the game at both ends of the ice. Los Angeles added another quality player in the second round with this pick and their already impressive group of prospects continued to grow with their draft picks this year.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 51 LAK Jack Hughes C 57 NORTHEASTERN H-EAST 6-0 170 L 26 NA
4 103 LAK Kenny Connors C NR DUBUQUE USHL 6-0 199 L NR NR
4 116 LAK Angus Booth D 111 SHAWINIGAN QMJHL 6-0 177 L 92 NA
5 148 LAK Otto Salin D 66 HIFK JR. FIN-JR. 5-11 187 R 23 EU
6 169 LAK Jared Wright RW NR OMAHA USHL 6-1 178 R NR NR
6 180 LAK Jack Sparkes D NR ST. MICHAELS OJHL 6′ 7.75″ 227 R 127 NA
7 215 LAK Kaleb Lawrence RW NR OWEN SOUND OHL 6-6 225 L NR NR

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild had a solid draft, they had tremendous luck in the first round with Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov but grabbing Mikey Milne at No. 89 was easily my favorite pick of theirs. Milne was one of Winnipeg’s best players in the WHL, and for Minnesota to grab a player with his potential and production in the third round was a great pick in my opinion. The Wild continue to do great work through the draft, and Milne is just another name on an already impressive list for them. 

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 19 MIN Liam Ohgren LW 18 DJURGARDEN JR. SWE-JR. 6-0 187 L 8 EU
1 24 MIN Danila Yurov RW 14 MAGNITOGORSK RUSSIA 6-1 178 L 7 EU
2 47 MIN Hunter Haight C 59 BARRIE OHL 5-11 173 R 44 NA
2 56 MIN Rieger Lorenz LW 51 OKOTOKS AJHL 6-2 184 L 17 NA
3 89 MIN Mikey Milne LW 152 WINNIPEG WHL 5-10 185 L 119 NA
4 121 MIN Ryan Healey D 265 SIOUX FALLS USHL 6-0 172 R 70 NA
5 153 MIN David Spacek D 229 SHERBROOKE QMJHL 6-0 174 R 55 NA
6 185 MIN Servac Petrovsky C 123 OWEN SOUND OHL 5-10 172 L 58 NA

Montreal Canadiens

The host Montreal Canadiens made splash after splash and while I wasn’t the biggest fan of Juraj Slafkovsky at No. 1, I loved what the Canadiens did with the rest of their picks. Filip Mesar and Owen Beck were awesome picks, but I absolutely loved the Lane Hutson selection with the No. 62 pick. He has all the potential to turn into a dynamic offensive defenseman, if he learns to handle the strength and physicality of the NHL, he will be a star in the league before we know it.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 1 MON Juraj Slafkovsky LW 3 TPS FINLAND 6-4 218 L 1 EU
1 26 MON Filip Mesar RW 30 POPRAD SLOVAKIA 5-10 167 R 20 EU
2 33 MON Owen Beck C 33 MISSISSAUGA OHL 6-0 185 R 10 NA
2 62 MON Lane Hutson D 31 USA U-18 NTDP 5-9 148 L 25 NA
3 75 MON Vinzenz Rohrer C 61 OTTAWA OHL 5-10 163 R 42 NA
3 92 MON Adam Engstrom D NR DJURGARDEN JR. SWE-JR. 6-2 185 L 38 EU
4 127 MON Cedrick Guindon LW 150 OWEN SOUND OHL 5-10 170 L 59 NA
5 130 MON Jared Davidson C NR SEATTLE WHL 5-11 179 L NR NR
6 162 MON Emmett Croteau G 269 WATERLOO USHL 6-3 195 L 10 NA
7 194 MON Petteri Nurmi D NR HPK FINLAND 6-0 167 L 136 EU
7 216 MON Miguel Tourigny D 162 ACADIE-BATHURST QMJHL 5-8 168 R 147 NA

Nashville Predators

While Joakim Kemell at No. 17 was an awesome pick for the Nashville Predators, I loved Adam Ingram getting taken with the 82nd overall pick. Ingram is a true power forward with an elite shot that will give goalies fits at the next level. I thought he’d be an early second round pick so by grabbing him in the third round I think the Predators did an amazing job and have a potential star on their hands with Ingram.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 17 NSH Joakim Kemell RW 11 JYP FINLAND 5-11 171 R 2 EU
3 82 NSH Adam Ingram C 49 YOUNGSTOWN USHL 6-2 165 L 27 NA
3 84 NSH Kasper Kulonummi D 65 JOKERIT JR. FIN-JR. 6-0 178 R 29 EU
4 114 NSH Cole O’Hara RW NR TRI-CITY USHL 5-11 192 R NR NR
5 146 NSH Graham Sward D 163 SPOKANE WHL 6-2 180 L 93 NA
7 210 NSH Benjamin Strinden C NR MUSKEGON USHL 6-0 193 R NR NR

New Jersey Devils

While I thought they’d go Wright with the second pick, I loved the New Jersey Devils going away from the conventional rankings and grabbing Simon Nemec at No. 2. Not only was it a cool story to see Slovakians go one and two, but I think the Devils got a potential star defender with Nemec. He has all the tools and physical traits to be a mainstay on the Devils blue line, which already has young talent at both the NHL level and within their prospect pool (Luke Hughes anyone?). Nemec was a great choice and New Jersey will be thrilled with him.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 2 NJD Simon Nemec D 4 NITRA SLOVAKIA 6-0 190 R 3 EU
2 46 NJD Seamus Casey D 32 USA U-18 NTDP 5-10 162 R 29 NA
4 102 NJD Tyler Brennan G 96 PRINCE GEORGE WHL 6-4 184 L 1 NA
4 110 NJD Daniil Orlov D 80 YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK RUS-JR. 6-2 180 L 36 EU
4 126 NJD Charlie Leddy D 159 USA U-18 NTDP 6-1 184 R 117 NA
5 141 NJD Petr Hauser RW 254 SPARTA JR. CZ-JR. 6-3 200 R 100 EU
6 166 NJD Josh Filmon LW 98 SWIFT CURRENT WHL 6-2 160 L 38 NA
7 198 NJD Artyom Barabosha D NR CSKA 2 RUS-JR. 6-3 189 R 95 EU

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders traded their No. 13 pick for Alexander Romanov, but that didn’t stop them from making a splash with their first pick in this draft. I really enjoyed Calle Odelius at No. 65. He will bring a steadying presence to that blue line while providing some spark from the back end every now and again. I think New York did tidy work to help shore up the future of the blue line with the Romanov deal and the Odelius pick. Islanders fans should be excited about their defensive future, especially after getting burned on the Devon Toews trade.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 65 NYI Calle Odelius D 40 DJURGARDEN JR. SWE-JR. 5-11 185 L 16 EU
3 78 NYI Quinn Finley LW 227 MADISON USHL 6-0 168 L 36 NA
4 98 NYI Isaiah George D 64 LONDON OHL 6-0 195 L 53 NA
5 142 NYI Matt Maggio RW NR WINDSOR OHL 5-11 186 R 103 NA
6 174 NYI Daylan Kuefler LW NR KAMLOOPS WHL 6-2 185 L NR NR

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers did tidy work by grabbing Adam Sykora in the second round at No. 63 overall. The Slovakian presence was strong in this class, and I think Sykora has the chance to be a really strong NHL player one day. I love his skillset and the goal scoring ability he will bring to the Rangers organization. The Rangers didn’t have an overly flashy draft, but they did solid work and this class will be headlined by Sykora. I would be shocked if anyone overtook him as the best Rangers prospect from 2022.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 63 NYR Adam Sykora LW 72 NITRA SLOVAKIA 5-10 172 L 42 EU
3 97 NYR Bryce McConnell-Barker C 67 SAULT STE. MARIE OHL 6-1 193 L 34 NA
4 111 NYR Noah Laba C NR LINCOLN USHL 6-2 191 R NR NR
5 159 NYR Victor Mancini D NR NEBRASKA-OMAHA NCAA 6-3 215 R NR NR
5 161 NYR Maxim Barbashev LW 165 MONCTON QMJHL 6-1 181 L 98 NA
6 191 NYR Zakary Karpa C NR HARVARD ECAC 6-2 185 L NR NR

Ottawa Senators

While they shipped off their first round pick for Alex Debrincat, the Ottawa Senators managed to have a very solid draft class anyways. I think the Tomas Hamara pick will be a fan favorite in a few years. He has all the tools to be steady two-way defender who drives transition from the back end. Senators fans will love his ability to move the puck and help suppress the oppositions attack. They have a few solid defensive prospects in the system already and grabbing Hamara is a great addition.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 64 OTT Filip Nordberg D 198 SODERTALJE JR. SWE-JR. 6-4 207 L 52 EU
3 72 OTT Oscar Pettersson RW 222 ROGLE JR. SWE-JR. 6-2 198 R 43 EU
3 87 OTT Tomas Hamara D 56 TAPPARA JR. FIN-JR. 6-0 185 L 21 EU
4 104 OTT Stephen Halliday C NR DUBUQUE USHL 6-3 213 L 161 NA
5 136 OTT Jorian Donovan D 82 HAMILTON OHL 6-1 182 L 81 NA
5 143 OTT Cameron O’Neill RW NR MOUNT ST. CHARLES HIGH-RI 6-0 182 R 77 NA
5 151 OTT Kevin Reidler G NR AIK JR. SWE-JR. 6-5 176 L NR NR
6 168 OTT Theo Wallberg D NR SKELLEFTEA JR. SWE-JR. 6-3 187 L NR NR
7 206 OTT Tyson Dyck C NR CRANBROOK BCHL 5-11 166 L 110 NA

Philadelphia Flyers

Cutter Gauthier and Devin Kaplan are great picks, but the No. 133 overall selection of Alex Bump was easily my favorite selection the Philadelphia Flyers made. He has tremendous offensive upside and has the potential to be an impact player in a Flyers organization that is desperate for elite offensive talent. Bump has strength, tenacity and an elite shot that will make him a fan favorite in Philadelphia.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 5 PHI Cutter Gauthier LW 6 USA U-18 NTDP 6-2 189 L 3 NA
3 69 PHI Devin Kaplan RW 60 USA U-18 NTDP 6-2 199 R 61 NA
5 133 PHI Alex Bump LW 102 PRIOR LAKE HIGH-MN 6-0 195 L 63 NA
6 165 PHI Hunter McDonald D NR CHICAGO USHL 6-4 205 L NR NR
7 197 PHI Santeri Sulku LW 146 JOKERIT JR. FIN-JR. 6-3 185 L 54 EU
7 220 PHI Alexis Gendron RW 186 BLAIN-BOISBRIAND QMJHL 5-9 175 L 141 NA

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins locked up Kris Letang and had him announce their first selection in this year’s draft. Owen Pickering is going to be wonderful player for the Penguins in a few seasons. He has grown — literally and figuratively — immensely since his WHL draft year and has blossomed into a high-end prospect that can become a true top-four defender in Pittsburgh. Pickering has everything you want in a defender, he has the size, skating ability and all-around instincts that will let him play in all situations. The Penguins have a great one in Pickering and will find out soon enough.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 21 PIT Owen Pickering D 19 SWIFT CURRENT WHL 6-4 178 L 15 NA
4 118 PIT Sergei Murashov G 244 LOKO-76 YAROSLAVL RUS-JR. 6-0 167 R 7 EU
5 150 PIT Zam Plante C NR HERMANTOWN HIGH-MN 5-9 161 L 64 NA
6 167 PIT Nolan Collins D NR SUDBURY OHL 6-3 194 R 153 NA
6 182 PIT Luke Devlin C NR ST. ANDREWS HIGH-ON 6-3 181 L NR NR
7 214 PIT Liam Arnsby C 124 NORTH BAY OHL 5-10 181 R 115 NA

San Jose Sharks

Mike Grier, a rookie general manager, did a great job in his first draft with the San Jose Sharks. He had some solid value in this class, but my favorite selection was their third round pick in Michael Fisher. He was one of the most electrifying players in high school hockey, producing a ton of points for St. Mark’s School. Fisher is a long-term project, but he has all the potential in the world to be an elite offensive blue liner for years to come in the NHL. 

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 27 SJS Filip Bystedt C 35 LINKOPING JR. SWE-JR. 6-3 187 L 17 EU
2 34 SJS Cameron Lund C 131 GREEN BAY USHL 6-2 185 R 40 NA
2 45 SJS Mattias Havelid D 42 LINKOPING JR. SWE-JR. 5-9 165 R 19 EU
3 76 SJS Michael Fisher D NR ST. MARK’S HIGH-MA 6-2 193 R 52 NA
4 108 SJS Mason Beaupit G 197 SPOKANE WHL 6-5 188 L 5 NA
5 140 SJS Jake Furlong D 109 HALIFAX QMJHL 6-1 189 L 68 NA
6 172 SJS Joey Muldowney RW NR NICHOLS HIGH-NY 5-11 155 R 164 NA
7 195 SJS Eli Barnett D NR VICTORIA BCHL 6-6 219 R NR NR
7 217 SJS Reese Laubach C NR NORTHSTAR U18 HIGH-MN 5-11 167 R 192 NA

Seattle Kraken

This was arguably the strongest draft class of all 32 teams in my opinion, but I have to go with the Seattle Kraken grabbing Wright at No. 4 as my favorite Seattle pick. With Wright, the Kraken now have another true top-six center prospect in the fold to join Matty Beniers. Wright was the No. 1 rated player in this class up until the last minute, so grabbing him at fourth is amazing for the Kraken and could end up being the steal of the draft if Wright hits the true ceiling we know he’s capable of.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 4 SEA Shane Wright C 1 KINGSTON OHL 6-0 191 R 1 NA
2 35 SEA Jagger Firkus RW 25 MOOSE JAW WHL 5-10 153 R 12 NA
2 49 SEA Jani Nyman RW 44 KOOVEE FIN-2 6-3 212 L 24 EU
2 58 SEA Niklas Kokko G 182 KARPAT JR. FIN-JR. 6-3 184 L 9 EU
2 61 SEA David Goyette C 37 SUDBURY OHL 5-11 172 L 13 NA
3 68 SEA Ty Nelson D 41 NORTH BAY OHL 5-10 196 R 32 NA
3 91 SEA Ben MacDonald C NR NOBLE & GREENOUGH HIGH-MA 6-0 165 L 50 NA
4 100 SEA Tyson Jugnauth D 149 WEST KELOWNA BCHL 5-11 155 L 66 NA
4 123 SEA Tucker Robertson C 110 PETERBOROUGH OHL 5-11 190 R 162 NA
6 164 SEA Barrett Hall C NR GENTRY ACADEMNY HIGH-MN 6-0 167 L NR NR
7 196 SEA Kyle Jackson C 220 NORTH BAY OHL 6-2 191 L 158 NA

St Louis Blues

In its entirety, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the St. Louis Blues draft, but of their six picks I really liked their first-round selection of Jimmy Snuggerud. I think Snuggerud has the potential to be a really strong impactful winger for the Blues. He isn’t the most flashy player but he has strong offensive instincts and an elite shot that would allow him to mesh nicely with the players the Blues have in their system like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas.  He went a little earlier than I would have thought, but when you’re a perennial playoff team like the Blues have been in recent years you can take risks with your first-round picks and this risk could pay off big time.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 23 STL Jimmy Snuggerud RW 38 USA U-18 NTDP 6-1 186 R 11 NA
3 73 STL Aleksanteri Kaskimaki C 70 HIFK JR. FIN-JR. 6-0 181 L 25 EU
3 88 STL Michael Buchinger D 140 GUELPH OHL 6-0 175 L 30 NA
4 120 STL Arseni Koromyslov D 81 SKA ST. PETERSBURG 2 RUS-JR. 6-3 180 L 50 EU
5 152 STL Marc-Andre Gaudet D 256 ACADIE-BATHURST QMJHL 6-3 180 L 100 NA
6 184 STL Landon Sim RW 237 LONDON OHL 5-10 166 L 215 NA

Tampa Bay Lightning

Isaac Howard was a great pick at the end of the first-round, but I loved the Tampa Bay Lightning selection of Lucas Edmonds in the third round at No. 86. The 21-year-old had a dominant season for the Kingston Frontenacs and looks like he has the scoring potential to turn into a solid NHL player. The Lightning always seem to find a vital member of their team later in the NHL Draft, and I think Edmonds will be that guy for them. 

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 31 TBL Isaac Howard LW 22 USA U-18 NTDP 5-10 182 L 9 NA
3 86 TBL Lucas Edmonds RW 205 KINGSTON OHL 5-11 185 R 104 NA
5 160 TBL Nick Malik G NR KOOKOO FINLAND 6-1 177 L NR NR
6 192 TBL Connor Kurth RW 104 DUBUQUE USHL 5-11 207 R 209 NA
7 223 TBL Dyllan Gill D NR ROUYN-NORANDA QMJHL 6-2 179 R 155 NA
7 224 TBL Klavs Veinbergs LW NR RIGA 2 RUS-JR. 6-3 198 L NR NR

Toronto Maple Leafs

They traded out of the first-round, but the Toronto Maple Leafs still managed to have an impressive draft class. I think they got a really solid prospect in Nicholas Moldenhauer in the third round at No. 95. He missed some time due to injury but he was a vital member of the Chicago Steel’s offensive attack once he got back into the lineup. I think he got a strong chance to prove himself when he played at the World Under-18’s for Canada and he should take another big leap forward this season. Toronto got a good one, and new assistant general manager Ryan Hardy likely had some influence on this pick.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 38 TOR Fraser Minten C 53 KAMLOOPS WHL 6-1 185 L 28 NA
3 95 TOR Nicholas Moldenhauer RW 187 CHICAGO USHL 5-10 170 R 39 NA
4 122 TOR Dennis Hildeby G NR FARJESTAD JR. SWE-JR. 6-5 209 L NR NR
5 135 TOR Nikita Grebyonkin RW NR MAGNITOGORSK 2 RUS-JR. 6-2 183 L 51 EU
7 218 TOR Brandon Lisowsky LW 136 SASKATOON WHL 5-8 171 L 74 NA

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks had a nice draft class, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Elias Pettersson were solid picks who can turn into nice players, but I loved the fourth-round pick Daimon Gardner. He has all the tools you want in a prospect — a big frame, impressive offensive traits, and scoring potential. He’s raw and needs time to find his game, but the Canucks took a big swing on Garnder and I love the idea of taking home run cut in the later rounds of the draft. 

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 15 VAN Jonathan Lekkerimaki RW 12 DJURGARDEN SWEDEN 5-11 165 R 6 EU
3 80 VAN Elias Pettersson D 129 OREBRO JR. SWE-JR. 6-2 185 L 37 EU
4 112 VAN Daimon Gardner C 127 WARROAD HIGH-MN 6-4 200 L 97 NA
5 144 VAN Ty Young G 266 PRINCE GEORGE WHL 6-3 181 L 6 NA
6 176 VAN Jackson Dorrington D 216 DES MOINES USHL 6-2 192 L 71 NA
7 208 VAN Kirill Kudryavtsev D 143 SAULT STE. MARIE OHL 6-0 200 L 108 NA

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights didn’t have a first-round pick because of the Jack Eichel trade, but I think they got a great value pick in Matyas Sapovaliv at No. 48. The Saginaw Spirit had a rough season, but Sapovaliv managed to be a consistent performer for them. He has offensive upside, an NHL ready frame that should allow him to translate well to the next level. His biggest thing will be finding a way to put all of his tools together and become a bigger impact player, but I expect him to take a big step this season. Vegas did really well by taking a chance on him, and it should help them start to restock their prospect pool that has been depleted by their constant trades.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
2 48 VGK Matyas Sapovaliv C 46 SAGINAW OHL 6-3 182 L 23 NA
3 79 VGK Jordan Gustafson C 116 SEATTLE WHL 5-11 178 L 43 NA
4 128 VGK Cameron Whitehead G NR LINCOLN USHL 6-3 170 L 7 NA
5 145 VGK Patrick Guay C NR CHARLOTTETOWN QMJHL 5-9 169 L NR NR
6 177 VGK Ben Hemmerling RW 166 EVERETT WHL 5-10 159 R 86 NA
7 209 VGK Abram Wiebe D NR CHILLIWACK BCHL 6-2 187 L NR NR

Washington Capitals

This was an easy decision for me Ivan Miroshnichenko was an absolutely amazing pick at 20th overall and just feels like a perfect fit for the Washington Capitals. If not for some health concerns and the Russian factor, we are talking about a potential top-10 talent in this draft and Washington now has another big Russian power forward they can mentor. He’s already starting to get back onto the ice and train so the worries over his battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma are lessened. If he gets back to his original form Washington has a potential top-six scoring winger that can be a star in their organization.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 20 WAS Ivan Miroshnichenko LW 23 OMSK KRYLIA RUS-2 6-1 185 R 11 EU
2 37 WAS Ryan Chesley D 20 USA U-18 NTDP 6-0 195 R 18 NA
3 70 WAS Alexander Suzdalev LW 84 HV 71 JR. SWE-JR. 6-2 172 L 26 EU
3 85 WAS Ludwig Persson LW 88 FROLUNDA JR. SWE-JR. 6-0 178 L 46 EU
5 149 WAS Jake Karabela C 139 GUELPH OHL 5-11 160 L 62 NA
6 181 WAS Ryan Hofer RW NR EVERETT WHL 6-3 181 L NR NR
7 213 WAS David Gucciardi D NR MICHIGAN STATE BIG10 6-1 185 L 57 NA

Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets had two first-rounders and both were great picks. Their entire draft, in fact, was actually very strong. I have to go with Brad Lambert at No. 30 here though.  I love the Jets taking the big gamble of Lambert — he has immense talent but just hasn’t found a way to translate it to the scoring sheet yet. His size, strength, skating ability, and puck skills are all amongst the best in the class, but his downward trajectory over the last few years really plummeted his draft stock. Winnipeg took a big swing and if Lambert can find a way to capture the form he had in his brief World Juniors appearance in December, the Jets will be getting tremendous value late in the first round.

RND OV TEAM NAME POS RANK TEAM LEAGUE HT WT SHOT CSS REG
1 14 WPG Rutger McGroarty RW 15 USA U-18 NTDP 6-1 200 L 22 NA
1 30 WPG Brad Lambert C 9 PELICANS FINLAND 6-1 175 R 10 EU
2 55 WPG Elias Salomonsson D 48 SKELLEFTEA JR. SWE-JR. 6-0 172 R 12 EU
3 77 WPG Danny Zhilkin C 71 GUELPH OHL 6-1 189 L 35 NA
4 99 WPG Garrett Brown D NR SIOUX CITY USHL 6-2 178 R 102 NA
6 175 WPG Fabian Wagner C 93 LINKOPING JR. SWE-JR. 5-11 170 L 27 EU
7 207 WPG Domenic Divincentiis G 213 NORTH BAY OHL 6-2 184 L 24 NA

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