Today we look at the greatest need of any NHL team for the NHL 2022 draft.
The greatest need in this context does not mean an immediate need for the big club list. This is not about meeting the needs for the 2022-23 NHL season. The purpose of this, in terms of the NHL draft, is to explore the full depth of the club at the NHL level and potential customers and to forecast their needs over the next few years.
Anaheim Ducks: Defender
The Ducks have some excellent young defenders in their system, with Jamie Drysdale on his way to becoming a top-class player and Ellen Zellweger looking great at a young age. However, after dealing with Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm, there is an urgent need for more talent in the four defenders of the team.
Arizona Coyotes: Center
Every look at the four centers that the Coyotes started one night will probably lead you to the same conclusion: This organization needs more in the middle. I still like Barrett Hayton, but the Coyotes need a lot more around him. It helps that there will probably be a very good center available at number 3.
Boston Bruins: Defender
In terms of what the big club needs at the moment, I would lean towards the center, but at least the Bruins have John Beecher and I think you could get some games from Brett Harrison. There is very little defense on the way. Maybe you can turn Mason Lohrai into an NHL player, but that’s not a sure thing, and there’s not much besides him.
Buffalo Sabers: Center
The Sabers have a deep farm system, so there is no urgent need, but in the world after Jack Eichel, the center is the need I would point out – especially another high-end center. They have a bunch of good tracks between Peyton Krebs, Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cosens, which could probably be those decisions, but it wouldn’t hurt to add more.
Calgary Flames: Defender
The Flames have used many of their high-profile elections in recent years to add talented strikers such as Matt Coronato, Conor Zari and Jacob Pelletier. They have some decent prospects for defense, but there is a clear need for more talent in this position, especially given that Juuso Valimaki has not yet taken this big step forward in his development.
Hurricanes Carolina: Center
Carolina has had many draft choices in the last few years, so there is no urgent need for their system. I emphasized the center because while they have some good prospects for the future, some of which are listed as centers, they don’t really have many prospects to be projected as legitimate centers in the top three in the NHL and many of their centers can be pushed to the wing in the NHL.
Chicago Blackhawks: Defender
I could have gone in several directions for Chicago’s greatest need, but I chose protection. I did it because after the exchange of Adam Bokvist and Henri Yokiharju and after several of their other high-profile defensive elections in recent years did not go according to plan, very little comes from this position in the pipeline.
Colorado Avelanch: goalkeeper
I was tempted to say defense here after Colorado swapped Justin Barron and Drew Helleson at the deadline, but they still have Bowen Bayram, who will be a great player in the NHL, and Sean Burns had a strong year in college. Their best chance for a goalkeeper is Justus Annunen, who has a good size, but is just good as a professional and they could really use another option in case he doesn’t succeed.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Defender
Columbus did a great job last year, adding a key need in the front and especially in the middle, bringing Kent Johnson and Cole Salinger high in the draft. Now the focus is on the blue line. Columbus used only one choice in the first two rounds of defender after Andrew Peake in 2016 and this can be seen when you look at their reserve list
Dallas Stars: Defender
I wouldn’t call this need for Dallas pressure – obviously there is Miro Heiskanen in the big club, who is still quite young and I think Thomas Harley will also be very good in time. This is a position in which they could use more depth, because after these two there is not much on the way, except maybe Artem Grushnikov.
Detroit Red Wings: Center
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, Wings fans. The Wings did a very good job building their blue line during the draft and adding a quality goalkeeper to Sebastian Kosa, but given the development of Michael Rasmussen’s former top center, this has become an obvious need for Wings to address.
Edmonton Oilers: goalkeeper
The Oilers have an obvious need for a quality starting goalkeeper, but that need will not be met by this draft, given how long you will have to wait for even the best goalkeeper. However, their system also does not have a clear goalkeeper for the future. Stuart Skinner is doing well on trial, but he’s not sure, so adding more depth to this position seems like a priority for this organization.
Florida Panthers: Defender
The Florida system is not that deep and they don’t have many choices, but they have a few good, young strikers and Spencer Knight on the net. They have very little involvement in the blue line. I like Evan Nause, but they need a lot more of him.
Los Angeles Kings: goalkeeper
Kings have a deep organization of young talent in most positions, including first-class center and defense positions. The one they miss is a clear goalkeeper for the future. This may not be the design class to handle this, but it may be worth swinging with at least one goalkeeper.
Minnesota Wilde: Center
Minnesota has done well in preparing first-class center, defense and goalkeeper positions in recent years. After watching Jack McBain walk around and see Marat Husnutdinov re-sign with his KHL team, it would be nice to add a little more depth to the middle of the organization.
Montreal Canadiens: Center
I think you can easily argue for a center or a goalkeeper for Montreal here. After the disappointing development of the selected number 3 Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Pauling, who became a solid but not great player, they were able to use a better depth in the middle.
Nashville Predators: Defender
After being known as a defense factory for years, Nashville has been investing more of its capital project recently in forward and networking. Their system has few results on the blue line and you have to imagine this draft they are looking for to deal with it.
New Jersey Devils: goalkeeper
The Devils have had many choices in recent years and have responded to many critical needs in the draft, but the only position they still have to take is a clear goalkeeper for the future if Mackenzie Blackwood can’t be that man. It is possible that Nico Dawes or Akira Schmid are these, but they are not sure.
New York Islanders: Defender
The islands have a lot of needs in their system, so I could go in a bunch of different directions here. Noah Dobson looks great on the blue line, but after him it’s gloomy. Maybe Robin Salo plays, but he’s not a guarantee.
New York Rangers: Center
Rangers have chosen often and highly in recent years, so their stable of young talent is in a good position with depth and quality. The only thing they could really use is more depth in the middle. Philip Chitil’s positive playoffs are reassuring, but almost nothing comes outside the NHL.
Ottawa Senators: Defender
Ottawa has a very good farm system and young players in the NHL club, so I don’t really see a clear need for any position. But if I had to choose one, it would be the blue line. The obvious warning is that Jake Sanderson is an elite defense prospect and they also have several other good defense prospects. If I have to compare the young depth between the Sens strikers and the blue liners, they could use one or two more quality blue line prospects to play alongside Sanderson and Thomas Shabot. Lassie Thomson or Jacob Bernard-Docker may be this, but if they can’t, more depth doesn’t hurt.
Philadelphia Flyers: Center
Flyers have a few clear needs, but there are few answers in the current organization as to which are their centers of the future. In the post-Claude Giroud era, this is a position that needs a lot of help.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Defender
The Penguins have had few draft choices in recent years, and the choices they have made have not progressed as well. I could easily go with a center here, but the lack of prospects for defense in their line is striking.
St. Louis Blues: Defender
The Blues haven’t had or have kept a very high selection lately, but you have to like the progress of the best strikers Zachary Balduk and Jake Naibers and obviously Robert Thomas is thriving at the big club. From the back end comes less quality depth and therefore should be an area they want to address.
San Jose Sharks: goalkeeper
San Jose has several young players in defense, wing and center, especially if William Eklund can play in the middle. I like Benjamin Godreau, but he had that season, so it’s not clear if he, or anyone else in the plan, is the goalkeeper of the sharks of the future.
Seattle Kraken: Depth
After going through just one NHL draft with just seven picks, the Seattle farm system is pretty weak. Mattie Beniers is great and Riker Evans and Ryan Winterton look like solid prospects in the NHL, but they just need a lot more players.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Score strikers
Tampa hasn’t picked much or high in recent seasons, so the farm is understandably weak with a variety of needs. I could have chosen a center here, but I like Jack Finley enough to think he will play. Looking through their pipeline, Tampa has a lot of hard-working strikers, but not many skills come, nor guys who can plan to score much as professionals.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Center
Ronnie Hirvonen is a solid prospect who I think will play in the NHL. He played in the middle before, but I don’t think he’s the key to being top in the NHL, and after that there aren’t many others ahead of the fall of Toronto …
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