The End to End hockey Mock Draft Here is what I think will happen with the first 16 picks in the 2022 NHL entry draft and while some may come as a shock, I would like to hear your opinion on any player who you think would go somewhere else or is too high or lowly picked, whatever it is I would love to here your feed back.
#1) Montreal Player: Shane Wright
Age: 18
Position: Center
Junior League: OHL
Stats: (32G-62A-94P) in 63 gamers
Reason: Wright will no doubt be the top pick in the draft for me. The Canadiens are lucky to have him because even though Wright isn’t the franchise cornerstone that Bedard will be next year, he is still going to be a incredibly talented young forward. Montreal could use a solid forward as he showed in the OHL this year just how talented he is and he has drawn a lot of comparisons to Bergeron, now Bergeron is one of the best 2 way forwards in the game and a 2nd line Center that has 2 way abilities could be exactly what Montreal was missing this year after losing Danault and having Wright play there could bring out the best in Suzuki, and I believe he will play in the NHL right away. So the fit just seems right and I have no doubt that Montreal will take Wright 1st overall.
#2) New Jersey
Player: Simon Nemec
Age: 18
Position: Right Defensemen
Junior League: Slovak Extraliga
Stats: (1G-25A-26P) in 39 Games.
Reasons: It is a bit trick on who I think the Devils should pick but the reasoning behind Nemec is quite simple, the Devils have Hischier and Hughes so although Cooley is probably the best player, they will stay away from the middle and narrow their search to Slafkovsky or Nemec and then it is a matter of if they want a potential top 4 D-Men or a middle 6 power forward and I think they go with the defensemen. Nemec has the highest ceiling to be a offensive defensemen in this draft and I think there is a fit here with Jersey if the Devils don’t trade the pick. With Subban leaving and the future of Severson up in the air Nemec could come in and play behind Hamilton on the 2ND pair and I would believe the D-Corp of the Devils would be great for a long time with his addition. So while it is probably 50/50 between drafting Slafkovsky or Nemec if they don’t move the pick, I truly think they will take Nemec.
#3) Arizona
Player: Logan Cooley
Age: 18
Position: Center
Junior League: USHL
Stats: (13G-23A-36P) 24 Games.
Reasons: the Coyotes are really lucky that the Devils were the ones to move ahead because even though there is a possibility Cooley gets taken, their Center depth might push them away from that position and open the door for the Coyotes to get a really great top line Center. Cooley is the 2nd best player in this draft and the fact that he falls to 3rd means that I am confident the Coyotes will grab him. Cooley is a elite playmaker that some compare to Aho and played really well in the USHL this year and even though he will not be with the team next year due to being signed in the USHL, imagine in 2 years the Coyotes have a top line of Guenther-Cooley-Keller and that is the makings of a top NHL line so while they did lose the lottery, they will get a steal of a Center in Cooley.
#4) Seattle
Player: Juraj Slafkovsky
Age: 18
Position: Left Winger
Junior League: LIIGA
Stats: (5G-5A-10P) in 31 Games
Reasons: the Kraken get the best talent available and I feel that whoever doesn’t got to New Jersey in Slafkovsky or Nemec will go to Seattle and because I have Nemec going to Jersey I have Slafkovsky going to Seattle. The Kraken had a bad 1st year but their 1st ever pick last year in Beniers had a great late season stint and while the Kraken might want to upgrade their defence, I see them taking the great power forward. Slafkovsky had a pretty good year in LIIGA but was fabulous in the Olympics and he has a future as a middle six power forward who can score (maybe playing with Beniers) and sort of looks to me like a more productive version of Tuch. So while they don’t upgrade their defence, they heavily improve their forward group.
#5) Philadelphia Player: David Jiricek
Age: 18
Position: Right Defensemen
Junior League: Czechia
Stats: (5G-6A-11P) in 29 Games
Reasons: this gets a bit cloudy after the top 4 prospects are gone, but the Flyers go after a major need in my opinion and grab someone who can eventually be a stud on the blueline. Jiricek was once supposed to be the top prospect defensemen in the draft but became the 2nd best after Nemec’s play, but I still view him as a future top 4 defensemen who has a ridiculously good offensive game and would definitely help the Flyers who have many questions on the blue line such as if Provorov, Ellis or Sanhiem will be moved so with all that uncertainty instead of drafting in the forward group I see them taking the best defender available.
#6) Columbus
Player: Matthew Savoie
Age: 18
Position: Center
Junior League: WHL
Stats: (35G-55A-90P) in 65 Games
Reasons: probably the best player available Savoie would be the 3rd Center in just the first 6 selection to be taken and the Jackets are great full that he is there for them to draft. Many see him as the best goal scorer in this draft and his play in the WHL reflects on that and will be a speedy top 6 Center at the NHL level and while the Flyers might take him over Jiricek, in this mock draft I have the Jackets taking him. Now I know that Columbus recently drafted two Centers in Johnson and Sillinger but they were using Johnson on the Left Wing which he can play during his late season stint so if they use him on the wing and Sillinger as a Center then they can use Savoie as the 2nd line Center and would have themselves amazing group of young forwards that will take this team to the future.
#7) Ottawa
Player: Joachim Kemell
Age: 18
Position: Right Winger
Junior League: LIIGA
Stats: (15G-8A-23P) in 39 Games
Reasons: the Senators get a player who falls into their lap as Kemell could have been taken as early as 5th overall in my opinion but will drop to 7th where Ottawa will take him. Kemell probably doesn’t have as high a ceiling as the other 4 forwards drafted but I can still see him being a middle six forward that can produce and maybe would help on the power play as he is a really good player with the stick. The Sens have some questions in their top 9 regarding Brown and White and of both are moved or gone within the next year or two the Senators could use someone to play on the 3rd line with Formenton or the 2nd line with Stutzle and with the ability to play up and down the lineup the Senators could use him on either line and would be a great addition to the team.
#8) Detroit
Player: Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Age: 17
Position: Right Winger, Center
Junior League: SHL
Stats: (7G-2A-9P) in 26 games
Reasons: the Swedish forward seems to fit the mold for what the Red Wings need in the future and I think will be more of a impact player then anyone realizes. Lekkerimäki can play on the wing or at the Center position so he is a versatile player who should at least be a middle six forward with the possibility of being a top six forward at some point as he is a natural goal scorer. Detroit under Yzerman has used their 1RD picks on some off the board players that surprised many but has turned out good for them, just see how well Seider and Raymond have done in their rookie year and also drafted Swedish born players like Raymond and Edvinsson so Lekkerimäki fits all of those categories, and when you factor in the uncertain future of guys like Bertuzzi and Larkin, it makes perfect sense to draft Lekkerimäki before anyone else does.
#9) Buffalo Player: Frank Nazar
Age: 18
Position: Right Wing
Junior League: USHL
Stats: (25G-20A-35P) in 24 Games
Reasons: it became really complicated for me to find who was draft after the first 8 picks because those I feel are the top 8 prospects but I feel that the Sabres will draft a good forward who has a chance to be a impact player with them. Nazar has been a really productive forward in the USHL and seems to be developing nicely into what is hopefully a top 9 forward and is really good at creating scoring chances. The Sabres have quite a young team and I could definitely see the Sabres placing him on the right wing on either the 2nd or 3rd line given they have pretty good Center depth but if their was injuries then he could play at Center, but either way in at least a year (do to him being committed to the USHL for a year) the Sabres would have a very good youngster to factor in to their top 9.
#10) Anaheim
Player: Cutter Gauthier
Age: 18
Position: Left Winger, Center
Junior League: USHL
Stats: (19G-9A-28P) in 22 Games
Reasons: the Ducks add yet another great forward who can help their team in the future and could possibly play with Zegras in the future. Gauthier’s stock has risen over the past year after having a very productive year in the USHL and is probably one of their better 200 foot players this draft has to offer. Anaheim already has quite a decent amount of forwards who could be NHL caliber players but Gathier could come in after he finishes his time in college and start playing pro, and he should be able to fork out a top 6 role maybe coming in for Henrique who could be out of Anaheim by then, but either way the Ducks would be getting a amazingly skilled player in Gauthier.
#11) San Jose
Player: Pavel Mintyukov
Age: 18
Position: Left Defensemen
Junior League: OHL
Stats: (17G-45A-62P) in 67 Games
Reasons: the Sharks need some help at defence and would benefit from cheaper defensemen given the big 3 on the defence in San Jose could be moved and Mintyukov could be a big help to San Jose’s aging blueline. Pavel Mintyukov is the best left side defensemen prospect and the 3rd best D-Prospect in this draft class in my opinion and definitely in my eyes has top 4 potential with a really great ability to jump up in the play and create offense. With the Sharks being rumoured to be looking to move on from at least one of Karlsson, Burns or Vlasic, the Sharks could use Mintyukov’s abilities whenever they feel he has developed enough to help their blueline and bring the next wave of Sharks D-Men in.
#12) Columbus Player: Kevin Korchinski
Age: 17
Position: Left Defensemen
Junior League: WHL
Stats: (4G-61A-65P) in 67 Games
Reasons: after taking Savoie with the pick from Chicago they go and add a much needed piece on the Blueline in Korchinski. Kevin Korchinski could go anywhere in this draft from 10-32 basically but I think the Jackets will be able to see his top 4 potential after he showcased his skating ability this year in the WHL that helped him get lots of points and would be a superb addition to the Jackets blueline. Columbus still has a young D-Corp and have not recovered from the loss of Seth Jones and while I don’t think Korchinski is better then Jones, I do feel that he would be the 2nd best left side Defensemen in Columbus behind Wereinski and could definitely give that D-Corp a boost.
#13) New York I
Player: Danila Yurov
Age: 18
Position: Right Winger
Junior League: MHL
Stats: (13G-23A-36P) in 23 Games
Reasons: the Islanders have their 1RD pick for the first time in a while and while it is no guarantee they keep that pick for now I will say they keep it and use it to draft a scoring forward. Yurov’s stock has plummeted due to all the uncertainty with Russian players, but I don’t think he falls to far from where he could have been because he is still top 9 potential at the NHL level in my opinion with his well rounded abilities and even though he hasn’t been the most productive this year I still feel that he can play very well. The Islanders are one of the worst teams when it comes to scoring goals and although they will probably get a top end forward this year they could use one for the future and I think Yurov on a line with Barzal maybe would be a really great fit.
#14) Winnipeg
Player: Connor Geekie
Age: 18
Position: Center
Junior League: WHL
Stats: (24G-46A-70P) in 63 Games
Reasons: the Jets could be making some moves to their forward group and lack solid prospects (outside of Perfetti) so they go out and get the big Center. Geekie, brother of Morgan who plays in Seattle, is a big forward who is always tough to play against because of his size and is more of a playmaker, and being a physical playmaking Center could be just what the doctor ordered for the Jets. Winnipeg could need a Center after the recent talk that they may want to move Scheifele and could move Dubois if he won’t agree to a extension so given those facts youngsters like Geekie and Perfetti who have really high upsides are about to become seriously important for Winnipeg, and quick side note Geekie plays for Winnipeg in the WHL so there is also a Winnipeg connection there as well.
#15) Vancouver
Player: Denton Mateychuk
Age: 17
Position: Left Defensemen
Junior League: WHL
Stats: (13G-51A-64P) in 65 Games
Reasons: the Canucks have been in need of another young defensemen and it has been the goal of what they have been looking for the last little while and I think in time Mateychuk can help the Canucks. Mateychuk is a potential top 4 defensemen in my opinion who can be placed in any situation, play lots of minutes each night, and plays a pretty good 2 way game and in my eyes would play behind Hughes on the 2nd pair and would be a great fit in Vancouver. The Canucks need a top end defensive prospect and while Rathbone is good Mateychuk would take that Defence to the next level whenever he comes into the NHL and should be able to help the Canucks produce offensively.
#16) Buffalo
Player: Filip Mesar
Age: 18
Position: Forward
Junior League: Slovak Extraliga
Stats: (8G-8A-16P) in 37 Games
Reasons: with the second pick of the draft for Buffalo I think they could definitely trade this pick if they could get a Power partner, but for this mock draft they keep the pick, and while I tried to find a Right defensemen to draft I couldn’t find one that made sense to be drafted here so I wound up deciding that drafting forward Mesar would make the most sense. Mesar can play any position and has a definite chance to be a player on the 2nd or 3rd line for the Sabres and this is a kid that’s got wheels and can quickly get the puck up ice and in due time would be able to carve out a full time position with the Sabres. After drafting Nazar earlier, Buffalo has got themselves 2 very good forward prospects for the future and with these two and the great youngsters in Buffalo already, the future would look bright for the Sabres.
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