The lottery balls have fallen into place: The top of the NHL draft lineup starts with the Montreal Canadiens at No. 1, the New Jersey Devils at No. 2 and the Arizona Coyotes at No. 3.
To see how things could turn out, The Athletic NHL authors made choices for each lottery team (plus the Nashville Predators, just eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, who will pick number 17). A full model of the first round will follow next week.
Lead writer Corey Pronman checked their choices. He also sought feedback from NHL scouts.
The draft for participation in the NHL 2022 will be held in Montreal on July 7 and 8.
1. Montreal Canadiens: Shane Wright, K, Kingston (OHL)
Okay, so Wright isn’t an exciting prospect you’d expect to add with the best pick in the draft, but there’s no point in wanting a franchise player when you don’t have one. I see Wright as a bit like Nico Hisier in his draft year, although he may not have Cale McCars and Elias Petersons after him, as he was behind Hischer in 2017.
While Wright’s decent season in Kingston raises questions about his real offensive, the Habs also need to look at what his floor is. Wright is likely to become a very good player in the NHL and a first-line center and a good enough player to help the Habs build one or two shots at the center, which may one day resemble the years of Patrice Bergeron-David Creach in Boston ( although, let us be aware, Shane Wright is not Patrice Bergeron).
A more electrifying prospect may hint at higher potential or stunning, but will he have as good a chance of reaching his ceiling as Wright? Montreal just doesn’t have the luxury of making a mistake with this choice and Wright can be a great building block for them. – M. A. Godin
2. New Jersey Devils: Juraj Slafkowski, LW, Tps (FINLAND)
The Devils have their top 6 center depths thanks to two previous No. 1 picks such as Nico Hisier and Jack Hughes. With the second overall choice, New Jersey has options. There are a lot of experienced defenders to choose from – or maybe they are attracted by Slavkovski, the best winger in the draft. This will allow them to deal with a legitimate area of need, while keeping the draft choice that Tom Fitzgerald has not ruled out moving … for a strong impact. Getting this luck in the draft lottery can change its melody, as it gives the devils a chance to introduce a powerful striker who can become a major player along with one of their cornerstone centers. -Shane Goldman
Logan Cooley (Rena Laverty / USA NTDP)
3. Arizona Coyotes: Logan Cooley, C, USA U-18 (NTDP)
I guess the Coyotes, given their squad and potential customers, are among the teams to be drafted at the top, most likely to choose one of the first two defenders, Simon Nemek and David Jiricek. But if Cooley is on board, they will have an even harder time transferring the potential center of the future – and a player who would stylistically complement wings like Clayton Keller and top prospect Dylan Gunther. Cooley, who will play at the University of Minnesota next year, is a potential ready-made player who plays the game with speed and creativity inside the ice. “Scott Wheeler.”
4. Seattle Kraken: David Jiricek, RHD, Plzen (CZREP)
Explore the whole organization. Kraken has only one right-back and that is last year’s fourth-round pick Ville Ottawainen. David Jiricek’s preparation will give them another right-handed strike with a 6-foot-3 frame. He spent the last two seasons playing against older, physically more mature players in the Extraliga, the highest division of Czech hockey. The 18-year-old finished the regular season with five goals and 11 points in 29 games after scoring nine points in 34 games a year earlier. According to Cory Pronman of The Athletic, Jiricek is considered the No. 1 defender in the draft. Knowing Kraken can add him to a young core that already includes Matt Beniers, Riker Evans, Ryan Winterton and Ottawainen, potentially offering more promise. Of course, the Kraken could go in any number of directions. They could go with another right-handed shooting defender to Simon Nemek or a striker. Especially if Logan Cooley is available at number 4 when the draft arrives. “Ryan C. Clark.”
5. Philadelphia Flyers: Simon Nemek, RHD, Nitra (SLOVAKIA)
While the Flyers could certainly use a dynamic, best striker, Nemek seems to me the best combination of talent plus need available to them at number 5. Nemek absolutely has the potential for a top pair, given his well-rounded skills and the fact that he is already thriving against men in Slovakia. The Philadelphia scouts are likely to be impressed by his hockey intelligence (always something they prioritize in their ratings), and his explosion with points in the playoffs of the Slovak Elite League (17 points in 19 games) speaks volumes about his offensive. The fact that he is a right-back is just a bonus, but it’s an important bonus, given the lack of them in the NHL and the Flyers system, especially given Ryan Ellis’s legitimate health concerns. Nemec will serve as a potential high-end solution to a problem with the list they have been trying to solve for years. “Charlie O’Connor.”
Matthew Savoy (Photo courtesy of Winnipeg Ice)
6. Columbus Blue Jackets: Matthew Savoy, C, Winnipeg (WHL)
The Blue Jackets have been unskilled and restless on the central ice for most of their existence, but the 2021 and 22 drafts may finally change that.
Savoie (5-10) does not have a classic number 1 in the center, but he has speed and skills that change the game, along with a shot in the NHL. He also plays with a chip on his shoulder, and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has a weakness for these boys.
There was no chance of the Blue Jackets getting on board for Shane Wright or Logan Cooley, so they took third place on the list of most scouts. Cooley designed as a player in the top 6.
The Blue Jackets selected Kent Johnson at number 5 and Cole Salinger at number 12 in last year’s draft. Sillinger is playing center at Columbus as an 18-year-old this season and certainly looks like a starting talent in the top six. He was 16-15-31 and was surprisingly consistent in defense. Johnson is playing exclusively on the wing at the end of this season, but coaches and management insist that he will eventually look in the middle. He is an exceptional playmaker, but he has to increase significantly to play in the middle. Savoie’s choice makes it increasingly likely that Johnson will remain on the wing. Eventually, he could push Boone Jenner back to the left wing as the captain played in the middle as needed. – Aaron Portzline
7. Ottawa Senators: Joachim Kemel, RW, Jyp (FINLAND)
The senators have never chosen number 7 before and I think there is a chance that they will exchange this choice for immediate help before the draft. In the past, the name that would have come to my mind would have been Frank Nazar, because he seems to be checking out a lot of boxes of what Sens has made in recent years.
But I think this organization will need high-quality talent up front, so as I look at our model so far, I’m inclined to lean towards Joachim Kemel in this place. Kemel broke out of the gates with his club team in Finland in October, becoming the youngest player in League history to win the League Player of the Month award. He was leading the league in goals (12) and points (16) when a shoulder injury knocked him out in November. From then on, he failed to rediscover his magic from the start of the season, but many scouts believe he has the speed and skills that will allow him to be a productive winger in the top six in the NHL.
Again, as we get closer to the draft, I think we should expect to hear more chatter about Sens, who are open to trading this choice. But for now, let’s include Kemel in Ottawa here. “Ian Mendes.”
8. Detroit Red Wings: Cutter Gauthier, C / LW, USA U-18 (NTDP)
The Red Wings could indeed use one of the potential centers in the top line in this class, as this position remains one of the weakest points in their organization behind Dylan Larkin. There are “cleaner” center options available at Marco Casper, Frank Nazar and Connor Geeky, but Gauthier played a bit of center earlier this season and has at least a chance to play there at the next level. Whether it sticks to the middle or ends up on the wing, however, its tool kit is impressive, like a fast-sliding 6-foot-2 sniper. “Max Bultman.”
9. Buffalo Sabers: Jonathan Lekerimaki, RW, Jurgarden (SWEDEN)
Under equal conditions, the Sabers would probably want a center with their selection (given what they already have on the flanks of Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka, and potentially even Isaac Rosen, last year’s second player in the first round). Here I thought of Frank Nazar and Connor Geeky. But Lekerimaki, one of the more dynamic players in this class of the draft, regardless of position, is widely seen as a better prospect. I think Sabers will probably get the best value after a winger with his first choice (at least if the center Matthew Savoy, who may be there, is not there) and a center or defender with his second, even if they want to focus on the last positions more aggressive. “Scott Wheeler.”
10. Anaheim Ducks: Marco Casper, C, Rogle (SWEDEN)
Cutter Gauthier was the target if he fell, but the big wing with speed and a huge shot was snapped, so the Ducks could go in different directions, given the need for talent of a higher class in front and the blue line in the system.
First-year GM Pat Verbeek wants more size at his club, but he also really wants players who will crave the puck with the kind of tenacity he has shown throughout his stellar career. The 17-year-old Casper already has a solid frame of 6 feet and 187 pounds and is a very good skater who does not miss …
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