2022 NHL Draft Rankings

[French Collection]

James Patrick is the coach of Savoie and Geekie so the Sabres could get some top notch stuff from him.

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

James Patrick is the coach of Savoie and Geekie so the Sabres could get some top notch stuff from him.

Plus Peyton Krebs played 24 games with them in 2020-21. 

[Flashsabre]

2 hours ago, GrassValleyGreg said:

The Athletic just published some insider quotes from scouts and execs on some of the more interesting and debated prospects heading into the draft. Pretty long write up from Pronman so apologies if the length here is obnoxious.

Some key names/debates that have been discussed on Sabrespace:

Geekie v. Savoie:  “Geekie. He’s a true center, I’m not convinced Savoie is a center and it’s close enough that teams will take the center.” ; “Savoie. He has legit top six offense. He has NHL pace, skill, compete. Geekie is just big and has skill, but there’s no motor in his game.” ; “Savoie is too power-play reliant. I don’t see him driving a line in the NHL. Geekie will at least be able to use his size to win battles and help you a bit at evens so I lean Geekie.” ; “I want to love the idea of Geekie but when I actually watch the ICE, Savoie just accomplishes more.” ; “I would take Savoie. He’s a really good player, he will be a top six guy in the NHL. Geekie has the better toolkit but I think he can be too indifferent some games.” ; “Geekie has a lot of upside, he’d have bigger point totals on a different team. I buy him as a top six NHL center so my preference would be him.” ; “When he’s on, it’s Geekie. He’s a big center who can be physically imposing on his opponents and has legit skill. He’s so in and out though, so my preference is Savoie, who I think is much more consistent.”

Takeaway: This seems to come down to scouts' preference on size, with some obsessed with a big bruiser at the center position. I'm always skeptical of young skaters who can be "physically imposing" on their age group. Such a wide range of size and maturity at that age that often does not translate to the pros. It sounds like most agree Savoie is relentless, which I've read before and is a trait I really gravitate towards. First I've heard of Geekie being "indifferent" and having "no motor", but as someone who was not a fan on limited viewings (can't get over his skating), count me out. 

Kemell v. Lekkermaki:  “Kemell for sure. He has the skill and the shot, but he has an edge to his game. Lekkerimaki doesn’t get inside, can’t push a line by himself.” ; “Lekkerimaki would be my choice. Kemell is a good player, plays hard, but Lekke has a lot more skill and offensive upside.” ; “It would be Kemell. There’s more pro there, the compete is quite good, and you saw how well he did versus men this season when healthy. Lekkerimaki there’s a lot of talent but a lot of projecting still left to do.” ; “I would guess Kemell just based on what he did production-wise in Liiga. I think both are a little overhyped. There was a time where you thought both could go top 10, but I think one if not both of them will slide out of that range. It’s hard to sell your GM on small wingers who aren’t special at the top of the draft.”

Takeaway: This confirms some things I've read and seen with Lekker. I'm nervous about the reliance on his shot from outside of 20 feet and his unwillingness to get into the dirty areas. I feel like I've read this same type of scouting report for Swedish players for years now, with many more resulting in Alex Nylander than Elias Pettersson. I'm not super high on either of these prospects.

Lambert:  “If you’re thinking of stepping up in the top 10 or 12 and taking him thinking he’s so talented he’ll figure it out, you’re kidding yourself. In the back half of the first when the next best alternative has nowhere near the tools he has then it will start to make more sense.” ; “I would take him somewhere in the teens. He didn’t have a great season, but you have to remember all he’s done before, and how good the skating and skill package is.” ; “He’s not for me. I’ve seen little progress in his game year over year. The skating is awesome but there’s not much else there that interests me, lot of circling the perimeter, doesn’t make many plays. We’ll let someone else take him.” ; “People talk about how talented he is, but outside a couple World Junior games when I watched him this season he didn’t really accomplish anything. If I had a top 20 pick I would hope to get a better player.”

Takeaway: No thanks. 

 

Marco Kasper:  “I’m in on him as a top 15 pick, maybe even top 10. His compete and character are excellent. The offense isn’t all-world, but he has good skills and plays a pro-style game.” ; “I think you’re for sure getting a player. He’s a third line center all day. Can he be a 2? I’m not sold there’s enough offense there.” ; “I’ve thought third line forward most of the season, but towards the end he started to persuade me there may be more offense to his game. I could buy a second line center but top 10 seems a little rich.” ; “I think he’s a stud. If we had a top five pick he would be in our conversation. I think he does a lot of things at a clear NHL level.”

Takeaway: Marco brought me out of a 3 year posting hiatus so I think you all know how I feel about him. I'd be ecstatic with him at 16. I have a similar takeaway after my deep dive on him to the quote about his improvement over the season. No questioning on his character, drive/motor, and development arc. I understand concern of a third line center ceiling, but I just think his skill set exceeds that. 

 

Best Dman after top 2:  “Denton Mateychuk. Kevin Korchinski and Pavel Mintykuov have the flashy talent but they don’t play defense. Mateychuk can make plays and competes in his own end even though he lacks size at 5-foot-11.” ; “I think Mintyukov would have the slight edge on talent, but due to his Russian passport I would take Korchinski.” “I say Korchinski but with the caveat that I think it’s a massive drop from 2 to 3 on the D list. I wouldn’t take any non-Nemec/Jiricek defensemen in the top 15.” ; “It’s Lane Hutson for me. I get the size concerns but all he does is makes plays. He’s an elusive skater, and he has a high compete level. He was one of the best players in every game I saw him.” ; “It’s for sure Korchinski. He could be a top 10 pick. He’s a dynamic player, a guy you’re projecting as the next Shea Theodore.” ; “It’s Korchinski for me. Don’t over think this one. He’s 6-2, he’s a great skater, he makes a ton of plays. The upside is really high in his game.”

Takeaway: Admittedly need to do a lot more work on defensemen, but really like what I see from Mateychuk. Again, it's mostly a size thing with some scouts completely discounting a player because they have some strict player prototype in their heard  Excited to dig in deeper on these three, especially Mintykuov who Curt and LGR (two perspectives/opinions I often seek out) both mentioned him on previous pages. 

Do Korchinski / Mintyukov defend well enough?:  “I think both are overrated for that reason, I don’t think either think it well enough in their ends or care enough about defending. They get you excited with their rushes and o-zone play but they’ll frustrate the hell out of coaches.” ; “I’m not as worried about it with Korchinski. The ice tilts when he’s on the ice, he must be doing something right in his own end. Mintyukov I don’t think tries to play defense, but I think part of that is what the team told him to do.” ; “Mintyukov is a little wild with his pinches, but he plays hard and can be heavy on his checks. I think you can work with him. Korchinski just never engages physically, I’m worried he’ll get pushed around in the NHL.” ; “Do I think they’re great defensively? No. But I’m not that concerned about it. They’ll generate so much offense and help you in transition that on balance you’ll be really happy to have them on your team.”

Takeaway: Something I'll definitely keep an eye on when I dig a bit deeper.

 

Does Bichsel have enough offensive upside?:  “Not for me. I like him but I don’t see enough there to do it in the first round. He’s just big and physical.” ; “I think so. People are sleeping on this guy, not dissimilar to how they slept on Moritz Seider in his draft year. I don’t think he’s as good as Seider, but there are rhymes in their games.” ; “If he’s top four, it’s a No. 4 probably due to the puck-moving game.”

Takeaway: Feel some people are obsessing with his size, especially in the context of how nicely he'll fit on our back line. I'd be prefer someone else at 28.

 

Can 5'11'' Mateychuk play top four minutes in NHL?:  “Where a lot of the public lists have him like top 15 is rich, I just don’t think that’s reality and where he fits in a draft. Once you get to 20-25, that’s where it starts to make more sense, where the talent level will be so much higher than the alternatives you’re willing to take on the size risks.” ; “I like him. He steadily grew on me as the season went along. I think you can get higher upside defensemen in the front half of the first like Korchinski and Mintyukov, but in the back half he’s more in play for us.” ; “I don’t see it. I get the skating and the skill, but there aren’t many top four D who look like him.” ; “I’m a believer. He makes a ton of plays, his team always has the puck when he’s on the ice. His skating is excellent so I think it will work in the NHL.” ; “If he was 6-1 we would be talking about him in the top five of the draft.”

Takeaway: He won't be there at 28 and I'd prefer two forwards at 9 and 16, but I'm a really big fan on limited viewings. (Again, it's so frustrating to hear some of these scouts obsess with size! Not sure what he measured at the combine, but 2 inches is the difference between top 5 and back half of draft?!).

 

How high can Gauthier go?:  “I think he could go top three, he has immense pro potential. I’m not sure Cooley is a better pro prospect.” ; “He could be a top five pick for sure, especially for a team that covets those big, fast, hard type of players. I wouldn’t rule out even top 3, although top 5 is more realistic.” ; “I would project him between 4-8. I would guess that’s where most of the league has him, with a third higher having him higher or lower than there.” ; “He will go top 10, but I would personally have reservations on him there. The tools are awesome, he’s big, fast, strong, can shoot it as well as anyone but his brain concerns me.”

Takeaway: Like most, I would love him at 9, but he won't be there. I know some don't think he has the playmaking ability to warrant a top 10 pick, but I feel his hands and vision are (or at least were) underrated. The brain/intelligence comment is interesting and supports the playmaking critique. 

 

How high can Gauthier go?:  “I think he could go top three, he has immense pro potential. I’m not sure Cooley is a better pro prospect.” ; “He could be a top five pick for sure, especially for a team that covets those big, fast, hard type of players. I wouldn’t rule out even top 3, although top 5 is more realistic.” ; “I would project him between 4-8. I would guess that’s where most of the league has him, with a third higher having him higher or lower than there.” ; “He will go top 10, but I would personally have reservations on him there. The tools are awesome, he’s big, fast, strong, can shoot it as well as anyone but his brain concerns me.” ; “He’ll be a top 10 pick but his ceiling is 6. I think there’s a grouping at the top of 5 players: Wright, Cooley, Slafkovsky, Nemec and Jiricek who have distinguished themselves." ; “He’ll go somewhere between 4-7. I think he’s a guy teams will keep talking themselves into bumping up their list as draft day approaches due to how toolsy he is.”

Takeaway: Like most, I would love him at 9 but he won't be there. I know some here don't think he has the playmaking ability to warrant a top 10 pick, but I feel his hands and vision are (or at least were) underrated. The brain/intelligence comment is interesting and supports the playmaking critique. 

Third best USNTDP after Cooley and Gauthier?:  “It’s clearly Nazar for me. His skating is awesome, he plays on the inside, he has a lot of skill. I think the potential there is really enticing.” ; “I would take Snuggerud. He’s continued to get better and better, he’s so far ahead of where he was a year ago. He’s big, skilled, competes, and can score. I think he’s scratching the surface.” ; “I saw the remark from Nazar about your scouting report that he can be like Brayden Point. That’s high, but I don’t think he’s that far off. He’s a big time talent whose game will work as a pro.” ; “It’s Rutger McGroarty. His compete is elite, he has skill, he scores, he has good hockey sense. The feet are tough but you know he’s going to work at it to improve that area.”

Takeaway: I see Nazar as clearly ahead of Snugs and McGroarty, mostly because of the latter two's skating. If our scouts feel this can be improved significantly for one or both of them, I'd be open to them at 16 (McGroaty and then Snugs), especially because their character and vibes are off the chart. The Nazar character rumor wreaks of BS, although I haven't read anything openly positive there. I'm sure Sabres have done their due diligence though, and if they are comfortable with him, he'd be a dream at 16.

 

Lane Huston: “I love watching him play, he’s probably one the most entertaining players in the draft, but I can’t see us picking him, I just don’t see it working in the NHL.” ; “I’m a believer. Torey Krug, Jared Spurgeon, Matt Grzelcyk, this guy’s next. He’s a unique small defenseman.”

Takeaway: Size!

 

Yurov and the Russia concern: “I can’t see a team considering him in the top half of the draft. He’s top 10 on talent, but if he’s close to the next best player the GMs are going to pick the next best player. I don’t think serious conversations start with him until about 20.” ; He won’t go close to where he belongs on talent, but after 15 I think it’s going to be too tantalizing for a team. He’s a big-time player.” ; “Everyone’s going to have a top tier of guys. For some it’s 8, 10, 12 players deep. It will depend. After those guys are all gone, you have to start talking about Yurov because the next best guy on your list won’t be close to the player he is.” ; “I think he could get out of the first round or go very late in the first. We love the player, but I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure on managers to not go that route.” ; “We’re not picking any Russians, I can tell you that. Those orders came from way over my head.”

Takeaway: If he somehow drops to 28 because of some informal collusion across teams, we should absolutely take advantage. Won't happen though. 

 

Best chance to crack top 10 outside of usual consensus: “Kevin Korchinski. He kept getting better as the season went along. He’s got a lot of pro upside.” ; “Jiri Kulich. He looked the part in front of a ton of general managers and scouting directors in Germany at the U18s. I think that will be influential.” ; “Noah Ostlund. He was the best player at the U18s even if he wasn’t named MVP.” ; “It’s Korchinski. He’s a lot closer to Jiricek/Nemec than most people are giving him credit for.” ; “Nathan Gaucher. He’s a big right-shot center, he plays hard, I think there’s some offense there. He played well in front of a lot of GMs at the CHL showcase game too.” ; “It’s not the question you asked, but I think people are sleeping on Lekkerimaki in the top five. When you talk pure skill and offensive upside there aren’t many better in this class.” ; “Marco Kasper is my vote. He finished very well between the SHL playoffs and the Worlds. There’s a lot there to like from an NHL standpoint, he’s shown he can do it versus men, and he’s highly competitive.”

Takeaway: No real surprises here. Korchinski top 10 could make our pick there even more interesting (e.g. does Kemell slide?). Need to watch some Kulich tape as a potential pick at 16.

 

Most overrated in Top 10: “Joakim Kemell. I like the shot and skill, but I don’t see him as a driver in the NHL. I think he’s close to a finished product physically too.” ; “I think it’s Lekkerimaki. He’s got great skill and an elite shot, but I think he can be a bit of a passenger at even-strength. He drifts to the perimeter, can’t be the engine on a line. On the power play you love him, but I want more at the top of the draft.” ; “Probably Yurov and it has nothing to do with the player — just due to his passport. He may not go top 20.” ; “I don’t get the Conor Geekie hype. I get the big center thing. We all want big centers. He has skill but it’s not elite skill, he doesn’t skate that well and his compete is average at best.” ; “I think it’s Shane Wright. For a guy who is a presumptive No. 1, when I watch him it doesn’t jump out to me. I have to put the pieces together and overthink on why he’s No. 1. It doesn’t mean he’s not great but at the top spot I want it to be obvious.” ; “I would struggle taking either of Savoie or Lekkerimaki where they’re projected right now. They are great players, they will score in the NHL, but I’m not convinced you win with players like that.” ; “I’m guessing it’s Kemell. He kinda came back to earth in the second half of the season after that run he went on. That 5-foot-9 ½ measurement at the combine didn’t help his cause either.”

Takeaway: Don't disagree with many of these assessments as I am lower than most on Kemell, Lekker and Geekie. 

 

Informal poll: 

• Best skater: Cooley, Lambert, Nazar
• Best puck skills: Cooley, Del Bel Belluz, Isaac Howard, Kemell, Lekkerimaki, Neuchev, Trikozov, Shane Wright, Yurov
• Best hockey sense: Del Bel Belluz, Lane Hutson, Mintyukov, Nemec, Ostland, Slafkovsky, Wright
• Best shot: Gauthier, Kemell,Kulich, Kyrou, Lekkerimaki,Slafkovsky
• Most competitive: Bichsel, Gauthier, Jiricek, Kasper, McGroarty  

 

 

 

 

“so apologies if the length here is obnoxious.”

God if I had a nickel for every time I told a woman that.😛😂

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, GrassValleyGreg said:

The Athletic just published some insider quotes from scouts and execs on some of the more interesting and debated prospects heading into the draft. Pretty long write up from Pronman so apologies if the length here is obnoxious.

Some key names/debates that have been discussed on Sabrespace:

Geekie v. Savoie:  “Geekie. He’s a true center, I’m not convinced Savoie is a center and it’s close enough that teams will take the center.” ; “Savoie. He has legit top six offense. He has NHL pace, skill, compete. Geekie is just big and has skill, but there’s no motor in his game.” ; “Savoie is too power-play reliant. I don’t see him driving a line in the NHL. Geekie will at least be able to use his size to win battles and help you a bit at evens so I lean Geekie.” ; “I want to love the idea of Geekie but when I actually watch the ICE, Savoie just accomplishes more.” ; “I would take Savoie. He’s a really good player, he will be a top six guy in the NHL. Geekie has the better toolkit but I think he can be too indifferent some games.” ; “Geekie has a lot of upside, he’d have bigger point totals on a different team. I buy him as a top six NHL center so my preference would be him.” ; “When he’s on, it’s Geekie. He’s a big center who can be physically imposing on his opponents and has legit skill. He’s so in and out though, so my preference is Savoie, who I think is much more consistent.”

Takeaway: This seems to come down to scouts' preference on size, with some obsessed with a big bruiser at the center position. I'm always skeptical of young skaters who can be "physically imposing" on their age group. Such a wide range of size and maturity at that age that often does not translate to the pros. It sounds like most agree Savoie is relentless, which I've read before and is a trait I really gravitate towards. First I've heard of Geekie being "indifferent" and having "no motor", but as someone who was not a fan on limited viewings (can't get over his skating), count me out. 

Kemell v. Lekkermaki:  “Kemell for sure. He has the skill and the shot, but he has an edge to his game. Lekkerimaki doesn’t get inside, can’t push a line by himself.” ; “Lekkerimaki would be my choice. Kemell is a good player, plays hard, but Lekke has a lot more skill and offensive upside.” ; “It would be Kemell. There’s more pro there, the compete is quite good, and you saw how well he did versus men this season when healthy. Lekkerimaki there’s a lot of talent but a lot of projecting still left to do.” ; “I would guess Kemell just based on what he did production-wise in Liiga. I think both are a little overhyped. There was a time where you thought both could go top 10, but I think one if not both of them will slide out of that range. It’s hard to sell your GM on small wingers who aren’t special at the top of the draft.”

Takeaway: This confirms some things I've read and seen with Lekker. I'm nervous about the reliance on his shot from outside of 20 feet and his unwillingness to get into the dirty areas. I feel like I've read this same type of scouting report for Swedish players for years now, with many more resulting in Alex Nylander than Elias Pettersson. I'm not super high on either of these prospects.

Lambert:  “If you’re thinking of stepping up in the top 10 or 12 and taking him thinking he’s so talented he’ll figure it out, you’re kidding yourself. In the back half of the first when the next best alternative has nowhere near the tools he has then it will start to make more sense.” ; “I would take him somewhere in the teens. He didn’t have a great season, but you have to remember all he’s done before, and how good the skating and skill package is.” ; “He’s not for me. I’ve seen little progress in his game year over year. The skating is awesome but there’s not much else there that interests me, lot of circling the perimeter, doesn’t make many plays. We’ll let someone else take him.” ; “People talk about how talented he is, but outside a couple World Junior games when I watched him this season he didn’t really accomplish anything. If I had a top 20 pick I would hope to get a better player.”

Takeaway: No thanks. 

 

Marco Kasper:  “I’m in on him as a top 15 pick, maybe even top 10. His compete and character are excellent. The offense isn’t all-world, but he has good skills and plays a pro-style game.” ; “I think you’re for sure getting a player. He’s a third line center all day. Can he be a 2? I’m not sold there’s enough offense there.” ; “I’ve thought third line forward most of the season, but towards the end he started to persuade me there may be more offense to his game. I could buy a second line center but top 10 seems a little rich.” ; “I think he’s a stud. If we had a top five pick he would be in our conversation. I think he does a lot of things at a clear NHL level.”

Takeaway: Marco brought me out of a 3 year posting hiatus so I think you all know how I feel about him. I'd be ecstatic with him at 16. I have a similar takeaway after my deep dive on him to the quote about his improvement over the season. No questioning on his character, drive/motor, and development arc. I understand concern of a third line center ceiling, but I just think his skill set exceeds that. 

 

Best Dman after top 2:  “Denton Mateychuk. Kevin Korchinski and Pavel Mintykuov have the flashy talent but they don’t play defense. Mateychuk can make plays and competes in his own end even though he lacks size at 5-foot-11.” ; “I think Mintyukov would have the slight edge on talent, but due to his Russian passport I would take Korchinski.” “I say Korchinski but with the caveat that I think it’s a massive drop from 2 to 3 on the D list. I wouldn’t take any non-Nemec/Jiricek defensemen in the top 15.” ; “It’s Lane Hutson for me. I get the size concerns but all he does is makes plays. He’s an elusive skater, and he has a high compete level. He was one of the best players in every game I saw him.” ; “It’s for sure Korchinski. He could be a top 10 pick. He’s a dynamic player, a guy you’re projecting as the next Shea Theodore.” ; “It’s Korchinski for me. Don’t over think this one. He’s 6-2, he’s a great skater, he makes a ton of plays. The upside is really high in his game.”

Takeaway: Admittedly need to do a lot more work on defensemen, but really like what I see from Mateychuk. Again, it's mostly a size thing with some scouts completely discounting a player because they have some strict player prototype in their heard  Excited to dig in deeper on these three, especially Mintykuov who Curt and LGR (two perspectives/opinions I often seek out) both mentioned him on previous pages. 

Do Korchinski / Mintyukov defend well enough?:  “I think both are overrated for that reason, I don’t think either think it well enough in their ends or care enough about defending. They get you excited with their rushes and o-zone play but they’ll frustrate the hell out of coaches.” ; “I’m not as worried about it with Korchinski. The ice tilts when he’s on the ice, he must be doing something right in his own end. Mintyukov I don’t think tries to play defense, but I think part of that is what the team told him to do.” ; “Mintyukov is a little wild with his pinches, but he plays hard and can be heavy on his checks. I think you can work with him. Korchinski just never engages physically, I’m worried he’ll get pushed around in the NHL.” ; “Do I think they’re great defensively? No. But I’m not that concerned about it. They’ll generate so much offense and help you in transition that on balance you’ll be really happy to have them on your team.”

Takeaway: Something I'll definitely keep an eye on when I dig a bit deeper.

 

Does Bichsel have enough offensive upside?:  “Not for me. I like him but I don’t see enough there to do it in the first round. He’s just big and physical.” ; “I think so. People are sleeping on this guy, not dissimilar to how they slept on Moritz Seider in his draft year. I don’t think he’s as good as Seider, but there are rhymes in their games.” ; “If he’s top four, it’s a No. 4 probably due to the puck-moving game.”

Takeaway: Feel some people are obsessing with his size, especially in the context of how nicely he'll fit on our back line. I'd be prefer someone else at 28.

 

Can 5'11'' Mateychuk play top four minutes in NHL?:  “Where a lot of the public lists have him like top 15 is rich, I just don’t think that’s reality and where he fits in a draft. Once you get to 20-25, that’s where it starts to make more sense, where the talent level will be so much higher than the alternatives you’re willing to take on the size risks.” ; “I like him. He steadily grew on me as the season went along. I think you can get higher upside defensemen in the front half of the first like Korchinski and Mintyukov, but in the back half he’s more in play for us.” ; “I don’t see it. I get the skating and the skill, but there aren’t many top four D who look like him.” ; “I’m a believer. He makes a ton of plays, his team always has the puck when he’s on the ice. His skating is excellent so I think it will work in the NHL.” ; “If he was 6-1 we would be talking about him in the top five of the draft.”

Takeaway: He won't be there at 28 and I'd prefer two forwards at 9 and 16, but I'm a really big fan on limited viewings. (Again, it's so frustrating to hear some of these scouts obsess with size! Not sure what he measured at the combine, but 2 inches is the difference between top 5 and back half of draft?!).

 

How high can Gauthier go?:  “I think he could go top three, he has immense pro potential. I’m not sure Cooley is a better pro prospect.” ; “He could be a top five pick for sure, especially for a team that covets those big, fast, hard type of players. I wouldn’t rule out even top 3, although top 5 is more realistic.” ; “I would project him between 4-8. I would guess that’s where most of the league has him, with a third higher having him higher or lower than there.” ; “He will go top 10, but I would personally have reservations on him there. The tools are awesome, he’s big, fast, strong, can shoot it as well as anyone but his brain concerns me.”

Takeaway: Like most, I would love him at 9, but he won't be there. I know some don't think he has the playmaking ability to warrant a top 10 pick, but I feel his hands and vision are (or at least were) underrated. The brain/intelligence comment is interesting and supports the playmaking critique. 

 

How high can Gauthier go?:  “I think he could go top three, he has immense pro potential. I’m not sure Cooley is a better pro prospect.” ; “He could be a top five pick for sure, especially for a team that covets those big, fast, hard type of players. I wouldn’t rule out even top 3, although top 5 is more realistic.” ; “I would project him between 4-8. I would guess that’s where most of the league has him, with a third higher having him higher or lower than there.” ; “He will go top 10, but I would personally have reservations on him there. The tools are awesome, he’s big, fast, strong, can shoot it as well as anyone but his brain concerns me.” ; “He’ll be a top 10 pick but his ceiling is 6. I think there’s a grouping at the top of 5 players: Wright, Cooley, Slafkovsky, Nemec and Jiricek who have distinguished themselves." ; “He’ll go somewhere between 4-7. I think he’s a guy teams will keep talking themselves into bumping up their list as draft day approaches due to how toolsy he is.”

Takeaway: Like most, I would love him at 9 but he won't be there. I know some here don't think he has the playmaking ability to warrant a top 10 pick, but I feel his hands and vision are (or at least were) underrated. The brain/intelligence comment is interesting and supports the playmaking critique. 

Third best USNTDP after Cooley and Gauthier?:  “It’s clearly Nazar for me. His skating is awesome, he plays on the inside, he has a lot of skill. I think the potential there is really enticing.” ; “I would take Snuggerud. He’s continued to get better and better, he’s so far ahead of where he was a year ago. He’s big, skilled, competes, and can score. I think he’s scratching the surface.” ; “I saw the remark from Nazar about your scouting report that he can be like Brayden Point. That’s high, but I don’t think he’s that far off. He’s a big time talent whose game will work as a pro.” ; “It’s Rutger McGroarty. His compete is elite, he has skill, he scores, he has good hockey sense. The feet are tough but you know he’s going to work at it to improve that area.”

Takeaway: I see Nazar as clearly ahead of Snugs and McGroarty, mostly because of the latter two's skating. If our scouts feel this can be improved significantly for one or both of them, I'd be open to them at 16 (McGroaty and then Snugs), especially because their character and vibes are off the chart. The Nazar character rumor wreaks of BS, although I haven't read anything openly positive there. I'm sure Sabres have done their due diligence though, and if they are comfortable with him, he'd be a dream at 16.

 

Lane Huston: “I love watching him play, he’s probably one the most entertaining players in the draft, but I can’t see us picking him, I just don’t see it working in the NHL.” ; “I’m a believer. Torey Krug, Jared Spurgeon, Matt Grzelcyk, this guy’s next. He’s a unique small defenseman.”

Takeaway: Size!

 

Yurov and the Russia concern: “I can’t see a team considering him in the top half of the draft. He’s top 10 on talent, but if he’s close to the next best player the GMs are going to pick the next best player. I don’t think serious conversations start with him until about 20.” ; He won’t go close to where he belongs on talent, but after 15 I think it’s going to be too tantalizing for a team. He’s a big-time player.” ; “Everyone’s going to have a top tier of guys. For some it’s 8, 10, 12 players deep. It will depend. After those guys are all gone, you have to start talking about Yurov because the next best guy on your list won’t be close to the player he is.” ; “I think he could get out of the first round or go very late in the first. We love the player, but I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure on managers to not go that route.” ; “We’re not picking any Russians, I can tell you that. Those orders came from way over my head.”

Takeaway: If he somehow drops to 28 because of some informal collusion across teams, we should absolutely take advantage. Won't happen though. 

 

Best chance to crack top 10 outside of usual consensus: “Kevin Korchinski. He kept getting better as the season went along. He’s got a lot of pro upside.” ; “Jiri Kulich. He looked the part in front of a ton of general managers and scouting directors in Germany at the U18s. I think that will be influential.” ; “Noah Ostlund. He was the best player at the U18s even if he wasn’t named MVP.” ; “It’s Korchinski. He’s a lot closer to Jiricek/Nemec than most people are giving him credit for.” ; “Nathan Gaucher. He’s a big right-shot center, he plays hard, I think there’s some offense there. He played well in front of a lot of GMs at the CHL showcase game too.” ; “It’s not the question you asked, but I think people are sleeping on Lekkerimaki in the top five. When you talk pure skill and offensive upside there aren’t many better in this class.” ; “Marco Kasper is my vote. He finished very well between the SHL playoffs and the Worlds. There’s a lot there to like from an NHL standpoint, he’s shown he can do it versus men, and he’s highly competitive.”

Takeaway: No real surprises here. Korchinski top 10 could make our pick there even more interesting (e.g. does Kemell slide?). Need to watch some Kulich tape as a potential pick at 16.

 

Most overrated in Top 10: “Joakim Kemell. I like the shot and skill, but I don’t see him as a driver in the NHL. I think he’s close to a finished product physically too.” ; “I think it’s Lekkerimaki. He’s got great skill and an elite shot, but I think he can be a bit of a passenger at even-strength. He drifts to the perimeter, can’t be the engine on a line. On the power play you love him, but I want more at the top of the draft.” ; “Probably Yurov and it has nothing to do with the player — just due to his passport. He may not go top 20.” ; “I don’t get the Conor Geekie hype. I get the big center thing. We all want big centers. He has skill but it’s not elite skill, he doesn’t skate that well and his compete is average at best.” ; “I think it’s Shane Wright. For a guy who is a presumptive No. 1, when I watch him it doesn’t jump out to me. I have to put the pieces together and overthink on why he’s No. 1. It doesn’t mean he’s not great but at the top spot I want it to be obvious.” ; “I would struggle taking either of Savoie or Lekkerimaki where they’re projected right now. They are great players, they will score in the NHL, but I’m not convinced you win with players like that.” ; “I’m guessing it’s Kemell. He kinda came back to earth in the second half of the season after that run he went on. That 5-foot-9 ½ measurement at the combine didn’t help his cause either.”

Takeaway: Don't disagree with many of these assessments as I am lower than most on Kemell, Lekker and Geekie. 

 

Informal poll: 

• Best skater: Cooley, Lambert, Nazar
• Best puck skills: Cooley, Del Bel Belluz, Isaac Howard, Kemell, Lekkerimaki, Neuchev, Trikozov, Shane Wright, Yurov
• Best hockey sense: Del Bel Belluz, Lane Hutson, Mintyukov, Nemec, Ostland, Slafkovsky, Wright
• Best shot: Gauthier, Kemell,Kulich, Kyrou, Lekkerimaki,Slafkovsky
• Most competitive: Bichsel, Gauthier, Jiricek, Kasper, McGroarty  

 

I find myself fading Lekker, Geekie, Kemell quite a bit currently because if you pay attention to how they produce, others are really driving their lines.

Anyone watching Geekie and coming away thinking he's a top 2 center in the NHL isn't actually paying attention. Great hands but the rest leaves a lot to be desired.

Great write up. Keep it coming.

[kas23]

2 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Plus Peyton Krebs played 24 games with them in 2020-21. 

In fact, I think the Sabres targeted Krebs partially based on Patrick’s word. So, there precedent and would believe they would pick his brain again. 

[Flashsabre]

I am thinking one of Gauthier (most likely gone) Savoie or Nazar are the pick at #9 come draft day.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I find myself fading Lekker, Geekie, Kemell quite a bit currently because if you pay attention to how they produce, others are really driving their lines.

Anyone watching Geekie and coming away thinking he's a top 2 center in the NHL isn't actually paying attention. Great hands but the rest leaves a lot to be desired.

Great write up. Keep it coming.

Really getting the sense that Quinn and Peterka already give us what Lekkeramaki and Kemmel would, except more. Skinner and Olofsson already on the team, Rosen and Kisakov coming...would much rather not take a specialist scoring winger with such a crucial pick as 9, especially when they don't seem special.

 

Geekie has Dylan Strome written all over him. Not my type of player.

Edited June 15, 2022 by dudacek

[jsb]

Great information here but I can't help but think of the quote of don't believe anything you hear from scouts, coaches and GMs prior to the draft. From everything I've read the tiers are 1-5, 6 thru 19 and 20 thru 40. So besides my preference for no D with picks 9 and 16, just about anything will work especially for 9 where at least 1 of Gauthier, Savoie, Nazar, Kasper will be available. It doesn't appear to be any superstars in this draft so anyone who can fill a middle 6 role will work. In an admittedly short history, KA appears to like skill and speed, so whomever can fill those roles are most likely to get picked. Some top Russians may also be available at 16 which I'd take a swing at if they had top 10 potential. Actually where the Russian kids will fall is probably turning into the story of this draft for me besides our 3 picks.

[French Collection]

Bob McKenzie’s list should drop soon, it has been pretty accurate over the years. I believe he talks to 10 or 12 scouts and uses their consensus list to predict the first round.

[Brawndo]

47 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Bob McKenzie’s list should drop soon, it has been pretty accurate over the years. I believe he talks to 10 or 12 scouts and uses their consensus list to predict the first round.

He said in His Mid Term rankings the final list should be out around a week before the draft, so around July 1st I imagine. 

[dudacek]

3 hours ago, jsb said:

Great information here but I can't help but think of the quote of don't believe anything you hear from scouts, coaches and GMs prior to the draft. From everything I've read the tiers are 1-5, 6 thru 19 and 20 thru 40. So besides my preference for no D with picks 9 and 16, just about anything will work especially for 9 where at least 1 of Gauthier, Savoie, Nazar, Kasper will be available. It doesn't appear to be any superstars in this draft so anyone who can fill a middle 6 role will work. In an admittedly short history, KA appears to like skill and speed, so whomever can fill those roles are most likely to get picked. Some top Russians may also be available at 16 which I'd take a swing at if they had top 10 potential. Actually where the Russian kids will fall is probably turning into the story of this draft for me besides our 3 picks.

You’ve got a healthier outlook than me, looking at 9 as the pick of the litter in the 2nd tier. 

I see it more choosing between a dozen guys at 9 that I’m OK picking around 12 or 13 and desperately hoping the scouts get the Larkin and not the Rasmussen.

16 sits easier with me, because we’re going to be picking from a half-dozen guys there that I’d be OK picking at 12 or 13.

Very much open to trading the 9th pick: up, down or for a player.

[LGR4GM]

Liam Ohgren has the most p1/ev points of any player in the 10 year dataset I have for SWEu20. I don't mean draft eligible player, I mean all the players in the entire set. It also isn't particularly close.

Ohgren also has the most p1/ev of all the players in this years 2022 set, so everyone draft eligible. If we just focus on draft year players, he outguns the next closest player by 0.41 p1/ev and by 0.37 p1/all. If you adjust for TOI he still beats everyone by 0.35 p1/all

p1/ev = primary points at even strength

p1/all = primary points at all strengths including powerplay

 

[Flashsabre]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-rankings-final-edition/

Final Sportsnet rankings. I found the comment on Nazar interesting that offence doesn’t come naturally to him. Haven’t seen that one before.

[dudacek]

23 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-rankings-final-edition/

Final Sportsnet rankings. I found the comment on Nazar interesting that offence doesn’t come naturally to him. Haven’t seen that one before.

I think I like Nazar; he's highly competitive and fearless and fast, and he complements that with good skill.

I have a nagging question about the flexibility(not sure if that's the right term?) of his game. I wonder if he is the type of guy who would continue to throw himself against a wall again and again, even if it doesn't work, rather than find a way to go around it?

[French Collection]

59 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-rankings-final-edition/

Final Sportsnet rankings. I found the comment on Nazar interesting that offence doesn’t come naturally to him. Haven’t seen that one before.

Kasper is #8 on this list. It’s nice to see him getting recognition but I hope he is around at 16.

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2022-nhl-draft-prospect-rankings-final-edition/

Final Sportsnet rankings. I found the comment on Nazar interesting that offence doesn’t come naturally to him. Haven’t seen that one before.

Please don't be zemgus girgensons

[French Collection]

Immediate turn off when Lekkeremaki’s profile said “think William Nylander”. Skilled but indifferent.

[Hank]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

Kasper is #8 on this list. It’s nice to see him getting recognition but I hope he is around at 16.

I'm developing a serious man-crush on the kid, won't be upset if we take him at nine. 

[Brawndo]

 

[LGR4GM]

Liger's List, top 10

Due to some health issues with my father, I havent had as much time to devote to the draft as I usually do. However I am working on a list and do have the top 10 done. This has been the hardest top 10 I have completed and in the end it differs a lot from most public lists.

1) Shane Wright C, he missed all of last year and I think the teams talking themselves out of him at #1 are forgetting that. Recency bias with Slafskovsky has run rampant at this point but in Wright you are getting a Bergeron type of player with a strong 200ft game and I think more offense than he is currently given credit for. Not writing more because he won't be available but he should go back to the OHL for 1 more season.

2) Logan Cooley C, he might have the most skills of anyone in this draft and if you watch his game the amount of plays that run through him is impressive. He has everything you want in a C except great size and only 5'10.5" but I think his overall skills and skating really make that a non issue. He is very smart and his passing might be the best in the class. Let him bake in college 2 years.

3) Juraj Slafkovsky LW, I love Juraj even if it sounded like I did not. He is very good at a lot of things and this ends the top tier of this draft. His size and shooting allow him to do a lot of different things in the offensive zone making him dynamic. His ability to maintain possession is going to payoff big time once he is fully mature and the only real question is can he increase his quickness to really take advantage of his size. Either get him to NA in the AHL or leave him for another year in Slovakia.

 

4) David Jiricek RHD, I put a break here because we now enter the 2nd tier of players. Jiricek lost some of this year to injury which sucked because there is a rawness to parts of his game that a full season would have continued to fix. His short WJC though was nothing short of breathtaking and part of why he ranks above Nemec for me. Jiricek has the will, speed, and attitude to try and take over games defensively with enough offense to factor in there too. He is a hardnose physical beast in his own end and that really appeals to me. Needs another year overseas and then an AHL year IMPO.

5) Simon Nemec RHD, I do love what Nemec brings but he is more of a smooth skating playmaker as opposed to the in your face Jiricek style. There were times this year where scouting reports talked about Nemec being less noticable and that is because he doesn't have that "impose my will" on you attitude that really keeps him a step below Jiricek. He is still really good and may even outproduce Jirieck but it comes down to style. Same timeline as Jiricek.

 

6) Frank Nazar III C/RW, Idk if he will stick at center but worst case scenario you have a really annoying rw charging up and down the ice. If Nazar were 2 inches taller, this ranking wouldn't surprise anyone. I debated who to put at the start of the 3rd tier and I kept coming back to Nazar the more I did research on him. His skating is really good, his hands are good, his shot is good, his deception is good and improving. He is very relentless at times and I think a few years in college (2) will really round out his game and allow him to access that next level. His floor is probably a 3rd line speedy grinder type who plays with 2 bigger players, but his ceiling is legitimately a 1st line player with a 30g, 40a type of threshold. He is a lot of fun to watch and the counting stats and microstats back up what you see. I would let him sit 2 years in the NCAA to make sure he really rounds out that game.

7) Pavel Mintyukov LHD, yes I am ranking a lhd at 7 because holy crap is he good. First, he played on a trash junior team and yet managed to still be an absolute force of nature for them. He was tops on his team in pts... as a defender with 62 (just behind him at 61 was Josh Bloom) and idk what to even say about that. He had 17 goals and 45 assists. There is a bunch of secondary assists and some pp noise in those numbers but still, just watch him. He has everything I want in a defender, he is physical, smart, aggressive, with high end puck skills. His puck skills are in that Power/Dahlin level of holy crap. He is almost 6'2" and uses that to his advantage in the offensive zone. His defensive game needs some work but... I don't care because my lord is everything else fantastic. His bday means 1 more OHL season and then you can put him in the AHL, I would go that route and do all I could to make sure he doesn't ever go back to russia.

8. Liam Ohgren LW, this should probably be Savoie but I can't ignore Ohgren's production because NO ONE produces the way he did at even strength in the SWE u20. He has a super high floor IMPO of a 2nd/3rd line winger and a ceiling of a first line Okposo in his prime type of winger. His shot is excellent although not the best in the class, his ability to be the link on his line where he just facilitates getting the puck to teammates in great spots is really good. He lacks some deception at times when it comes to rushes, he won't weave in and out but the talk of him having bad skating is 100% bs. He has average to above average speed and he actually has good edges. He can produce however you want and is basically Gauthier but IMPO better. He needs to work on his pace a little as there were times he needed to make quicker decisions but overall he is clever where how he navigates the offensive and neutral zones. Defense is okay but can improve. All in all there is just too much offense there for me to rank him lower, it is the Seth Jarvis effect but he isn't as good as Jarvis.... yet. He will be in the Allsveskan next year and then should be brought over to the AHL.

9) Matthew Savoie C/W, idk if he sticks at center and that is a concern because I think he can be pushed out of the way on the wall at times. I like Savoie but don't love him because I felt at times he wasn't aggressive enough. Yes size matters and for a player his size, I want what Nazar brings which is ruggedness that Savoie can do but doesn't always. The good stuff is his shot, passing, and skating. They all are really good and help him to navigate the 3 zones with deception and good not great speed. He is good at finding soft ice and getting open for shots and passing plays. If you watch his tape you will see a player that at times is very dynamic. In the end I wonder if the lack of elite speed coupled with the difficulty he will have playing against defenders that can force him outside will impact his total offense in the NHL. We shall see. 2 more years of juniors and then an AHL year.

10) Marco Kasper C, this was almost someone else but then I watched some highlights of Kasper from the Worlds and I started to see that there is more to Kasper in terms of skill. I think what happened with Marco is he was tasked with playing a very mature defensive game against men and so he did that. An entire season in the SHL as a DY guy is impressive and he managed to produce some points. Further he learned to speak Swedish in 6 months (he is Austrian) and now I am really intrigued. He is one of these guys that just seems to continually work at being better in all aspects of the game. Kasper is an absolute terror of a player, he will eat you. He hits, he backchecks, forechecks, crosschecks, whatever (he is a clean player don't worry) in order to get the puck. If you think he isn't coming for you, that's because he already has the puck. There is no player with a higher motor in the draft and I think because of that he can fix his deficiencies which revolve around poor timing (he doesn't sit in the soft spot or will engage a defender instead of fading from coverage) and there is some question about his overall skill. I think his stickhandling and skills will improve because he is that type of player and I think it is telling that reports outside of the SHL game really paint a different picture. The concern here is is Kasper going to be ROR or is he going to be Tyler Boucher. Honestly, Boucher is probably more likely but I like him better than Gauthier (just a little) so here he stits. Kasper needs refinement and needs another year in the SHL and then at least 1 full if not 2 AHL seasons if you really want to develop him offensively. Physically, he can be NHL ready as early as next spring.

[GASabresIUFAN]

@LGR4GM love the list.  Sorry about your Dad.  Hope he gets better soon.  
 

Given all I have read, I think after the top 5, this draft could go in any direction from 6 down to 18 or so.  The 3 LHDs seem allergic to actually playing defense, but all three have amazing puck moving skill sets.  

Personally, I think Kasper could very well be the right selection at 9.  We need more big motor players and he fits the bill.   

[Curt]

46 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Liger's List, top 10

Due to some health issues with my father, I havent had as much time to devote to the draft as I usually do. However I am working on a list and do have the top 10 done. This has been the hardest top 10 I have completed and in the end it differs a lot from most public lists.

1) Shane Wright C, he missed all of last year and I think the teams talking themselves out of him at #1 are forgetting that. Recency bias with Slafskovsky has run rampant at this point but in Wright you are getting a Bergeron type of player with a strong 200ft game and I think more offense than he is currently given credit for. Not writing more because he won't be available but he should go back to the OHL for 1 more season.

2) Logan Cooley C, he might have the most skills of anyone in this draft and if you watch his game the amount of plays that run through him is impressive. He has everything you want in a C except great size and only 5'10.5" but I think his overall skills and skating really make that a non issue. He is very smart and his passing might be the best in the class. Let him bake in college 2 years.

3) Juraj Slafkovsky LW, I love Juraj even if it sounded like I did not. He is very good at a lot of things and this ends the top tier of this draft. His size and shooting allow him to do a lot of different things in the offensive zone making him dynamic. His ability to maintain possession is going to payoff big time once he is fully mature and the only real question is can he increase his quickness to really take advantage of his size. Either get him to NA in the AHL or leave him for another year in Slovakia.

 

4) David Jiricek RHD, I put a break here because we now enter the 2nd tier of players. Jiricek lost some of this year to injury which sucked because there is a rawness to parts of his game that a full season would have continued to fix. His short WJC though was nothing short of breathtaking and part of why he ranks above Nemec for me. Jiricek has the will, speed, and attitude to try and take over games defensively with enough offense to factor in there too. He is a hardnose physical beast in his own end and that really appeals to me. Needs another year overseas and then an AHL year IMPO.

5) Simon Nemec RHD, I do love what Nemec brings but he is more of a smooth skating playmaker as opposed to the in your face Jiricek style. There were times this year where scouting reports talked about Nemec being less noticable and that is because he doesn't have that "impose my will" on you attitude that really keeps him a step below Jiricek. He is still really good and may even outproduce Jirieck but it comes down to style. Same timeline as Jiricek.

 

6) Frank Nazar III C/RW, Idk if he will stick at center but worst case scenario you have a really annoying rw charging up and down the ice. If Nazar were 2 inches taller, this ranking wouldn't surprise anyone. I debated who to put at the start of the 3rd tier and I kept coming back to Nazar the more I did research on him. His skating is really good, his hands are good, his shot is good, his deception is good and improving. He is very relentless at times and I think a few years in college (2) will really round out his game and allow him to access that next level. His floor is probably a 3rd line speedy grinder type who plays with 2 bigger players, but his ceiling is legitimately a 1st line player with a 30g, 40a type of threshold. He is a lot of fun to watch and the counting stats and microstats back up what you see. I would let him sit 2 years in the NCAA to make sure he really rounds out that game.

7) Pavel Mintyukov LHD, yes I am ranking a lhd at 7 because holy crap is he good. First, he played on a trash junior team and yet managed to still be an absolute force of nature for them. He was tops on his team in pts... as a defender with 62 (just behind him at 61 was Josh Bloom) and idk what to even say about that. He had 17 goals and 45 assists. There is a bunch of secondary assists and some pp noise in those numbers but still, just watch him. He has everything I want in a defender, he is physical, smart, aggressive, with high end puck skills. His puck skills are in that Power/Dahlin level of holy crap. He is almost 6'2" and uses that to his advantage in the offensive zone. His defensive game needs some work but... I don't care because my lord is everything else fantastic. His bday means 1 more OHL season and then you can put him in the AHL, I would go that route and do all I could to make sure he doesn't ever go back to russia.

8. Liam Ohgren LW, this should probably be Savoie but I can't ignore Ohgren's production because NO ONE produces the way he did at even strength in the SWE u20. He has a super high floor IMPO of a 2nd/3rd line winger and a ceiling of a first line Okposo in his prime type of winger. His shot is excellent although not the best in the class, his ability to be the link on his line where he just facilitates getting the puck to teammates in great spots is really good. He lacks some deception at times when it comes to rushes, he won't weave in and out but the talk of him having bad skating is 100% bs. He has average to above average speed and he actually has good edges. He can produce however you want and is basically Gauthier but IMPO better. He needs to work on his pace a little as there were times he needed to make quicker decisions but overall he is clever where how he navigates the offensive and neutral zones. Defense is okay but can improve. All in all there is just too much offense there for me to rank him lower, it is the Seth Jarvis effect but he isn't as good as Jarvis.... yet. He will be in the Allsveskan next year and then should be brought over to the AHL.

9) Matthew Savoie C/W, idk if he sticks at center and that is a concern because I think he can be pushed out of the way on the wall at times. I like Savoie but don't love him because I felt at times he wasn't aggressive enough. Yes size matters and for a player his size, I want what Nazar brings which is ruggedness that Savoie can do but doesn't always. The good stuff is his shot, passing, and skating. They all are really good and help him to navigate the 3 zones with deception and good not great speed. He is good at finding soft ice and getting open for shots and passing plays. If you watch his tape you will see a player that at times is very dynamic. In the end I wonder if the lack of elite speed coupled with the difficulty he will have playing against defenders that can force him outside will impact his total offense in the NHL. We shall see. 2 more years of juniors and then an AHL year.

10) Marco Kasper C, this was almost someone else but then I watched some highlights of Kasper from the Worlds and I started to see that there is more to Kasper in terms of skill. I think what happened with Marco is he was tasked with playing a very mature defensive game against men and so he did that. An entire season in the SHL as a DY guy is impressive and he managed to produce some points. Further he learned to speak Swedish in 6 months (he is Austrian) and now I am really intrigued. He is one of these guys that just seems to continually work at being better in all aspects of the game. Kasper is an absolute terror of a player, he will eat you. He hits, he backchecks, forechecks, crosschecks, whatever (he is a clean player don't worry) in order to get the puck. If you think he isn't coming for you, that's because he already has the puck. There is no player with a higher motor in the draft and I think because of that he can fix his deficiencies which revolve around poor timing (he doesn't sit in the soft spot or will engage a defender instead of fading from coverage) and there is some question about his overall skill. I think his stickhandling and skills will improve because he is that type of player and I think it is telling that reports outside of the SHL game really paint a different picture. The concern here is is Kasper going to be ROR or is he going to be Tyler Boucher. Honestly, Boucher is probably more likely but I like him better than Gauthier (just a little) so here he stits. Kasper needs refinement and needs another year in the SHL and then at least 1 full if not 2 AHL seasons if you really want to develop him offensively. Physically, he can be NHL ready as early as next spring.

Hope everything is looking up from here with your father.

Nice list.  I don’t know what it is this season but I find myself being really drawn to players who have a physical, gritty element to their games.  Maybe it’s that I can actually see a path towards the playoffs for the Sabres and I don’t want a bunch of softies when we get there.

With that in mind, I’ve been thinking hard about Kasper and Ohgren (as well as Miroshnichenko and McGroarty) for the Sabres specifically and I’d be fine with either (both?) for Buffalo.  Ohgren’s production is wild.

I think people rating Korchinski as a top-10 pick or 3rd best D are being fooled by the great team around him and the long playoff run.

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Liger's List, top 10

Due to some health issues with my father, I havent had as much time to devote to the draft as I usually do. However I am working on a list and do have the top 10 done. This has been the hardest top 10 I have completed and in the end it differs a lot from most public lists.

1) Shane Wright C, he missed all of last year and I think the teams talking themselves out of him at #1 are forgetting that. Recency bias with Slafskovsky has run rampant at this point but in Wright you are getting a Bergeron type of player with a strong 200ft game and I think more offense than he is currently given credit for. Not writing more because he won't be available but he should go back to the OHL for 1 more season.

2) Logan Cooley C, he might have the most skills of anyone in this draft and if you watch his game the amount of plays that run through him is impressive. He has everything you want in a C except great size and only 5'10.5" but I think his overall skills and skating really make that a non issue. He is very smart and his passing might be the best in the class. Let him bake in college 2 years.

3) Juraj Slafkovsky LW, I love Juraj even if it sounded like I did not. He is very good at a lot of things and this ends the top tier of this draft. His size and shooting allow him to do a lot of different things in the offensive zone making him dynamic. His ability to maintain possession is going to payoff big time once he is fully mature and the only real question is can he increase his quickness to really take advantage of his size. Either get him to NA in the AHL or leave him for another year in Slovakia.

 

4) David Jiricek RHD, I put a break here because we now enter the 2nd tier of players. Jiricek lost some of this year to injury which sucked because there is a rawness to parts of his game that a full season would have continued to fix. His short WJC though was nothing short of breathtaking and part of why he ranks above Nemec for me. Jiricek has the will, speed, and attitude to try and take over games defensively with enough offense to factor in there too. He is a hardnose physical beast in his own end and that really appeals to me. Needs another year overseas and then an AHL year IMPO.

5) Simon Nemec RHD, I do love what Nemec brings but he is more of a smooth skating playmaker as opposed to the in your face Jiricek style. There were times this year where scouting reports talked about Nemec being less noticable and that is because he doesn't have that "impose my will" on you attitude that really keeps him a step below Jiricek. He is still really good and may even outproduce Jirieck but it comes down to style. Same timeline as Jiricek.

 

6) Frank Nazar III C/RW, Idk if he will stick at center but worst case scenario you have a really annoying rw charging up and down the ice. If Nazar were 2 inches taller, this ranking wouldn't surprise anyone. I debated who to put at the start of the 3rd tier and I kept coming back to Nazar the more I did research on him. His skating is really good, his hands are good, his shot is good, his deception is good and improving. He is very relentless at times and I think a few years in college (2) will really round out his game and allow him to access that next level. His floor is probably a 3rd line speedy grinder type who plays with 2 bigger players, but his ceiling is legitimately a 1st line player with a 30g, 40a type of threshold. He is a lot of fun to watch and the counting stats and microstats back up what you see. I would let him sit 2 years in the NCAA to make sure he really rounds out that game.

7) Pavel Mintyukov LHD, yes I am ranking a lhd at 7 because holy crap is he good. First, he played on a trash junior team and yet managed to still be an absolute force of nature for them. He was tops on his team in pts... as a defender with 62 (just behind him at 61 was Josh Bloom) and idk what to even say about that. He had 17 goals and 45 assists. There is a bunch of secondary assists and some pp noise in those numbers but still, just watch him. He has everything I want in a defender, he is physical, smart, aggressive, with high end puck skills. His puck skills are in that Power/Dahlin level of holy crap. He is almost 6'2" and uses that to his advantage in the offensive zone. His defensive game needs some work but... I don't care because my lord is everything else fantastic. His bday means 1 more OHL season and then you can put him in the AHL, I would go that route and do all I could to make sure he doesn't ever go back to russia.

8. Liam Ohgren LW, this should probably be Savoie but I can't ignore Ohgren's production because NO ONE produces the way he did at even strength in the SWE u20. He has a super high floor IMPO of a 2nd/3rd line winger and a ceiling of a first line Okposo in his prime type of winger. His shot is excellent although not the best in the class, his ability to be the link on his line where he just facilitates getting the puck to teammates in great spots is really good. He lacks some deception at times when it comes to rushes, he won't weave in and out but the talk of him having bad skating is 100% bs. He has average to above average speed and he actually has good edges. He can produce however you want and is basically Gauthier but IMPO better. He needs to work on his pace a little as there were times he needed to make quicker decisions but overall he is clever where how he navigates the offensive and neutral zones. Defense is okay but can improve. All in all there is just too much offense there for me to rank him lower, it is the Seth Jarvis effect but he isn't as good as Jarvis.... yet. He will be in the Allsveskan next year and then should be brought over to the AHL.

9) Matthew Savoie C/W, idk if he sticks at center and that is a concern because I think he can be pushed out of the way on the wall at times. I like Savoie but don't love him because I felt at times he wasn't aggressive enough. Yes size matters and for a player his size, I want what Nazar brings which is ruggedness that Savoie can do but doesn't always. The good stuff is his shot, passing, and skating. They all are really good and help him to navigate the 3 zones with deception and good not great speed. He is good at finding soft ice and getting open for shots and passing plays. If you watch his tape you will see a player that at times is very dynamic. In the end I wonder if the lack of elite speed coupled with the difficulty he will have playing against defenders that can force him outside will impact his total offense in the NHL. We shall see. 2 more years of juniors and then an AHL year.

10) Marco Kasper C, this was almost someone else but then I watched some highlights of Kasper from the Worlds and I started to see that there is more to Kasper in terms of skill. I think what happened with Marco is he was tasked with playing a very mature defensive game against men and so he did that. An entire season in the SHL as a DY guy is impressive and he managed to produce some points. Further he learned to speak Swedish in 6 months (he is Austrian) and now I am really intrigued. He is one of these guys that just seems to continually work at being better in all aspects of the game. Kasper is an absolute terror of a player, he will eat you. He hits, he backchecks, forechecks, crosschecks, whatever (he is a clean player don't worry) in order to get the puck. If you think he isn't coming for you, that's because he already has the puck. There is no player with a higher motor in the draft and I think because of that he can fix his deficiencies which revolve around poor timing (he doesn't sit in the soft spot or will engage a defender instead of fading from coverage) and there is some question about his overall skill. I think his stickhandling and skills will improve because he is that type of player and I think it is telling that reports outside of the SHL game really paint a different picture. The concern here is is Kasper going to be ROR or is he going to be Tyler Boucher. Honestly, Boucher is probably more likely but I like him better than Gauthier (just a little) so here he stits. Kasper needs refinement and needs another year in the SHL and then at least 1 full if not 2 AHL seasons if you really want to develop him offensively. Physically, he can be NHL ready as early as next spring.

This was a good read, thanks for the effort you put into the draft research every year.

I hope your father is getting better.

The more chatter I see about LHD like Mintyukov, Korchinski and others, the more I like the Sabres chances of getting some good forwards in the first round.

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

Slafkovsky has the largest picture of the projected top 3….

[dudacek]

@LGR4GM Echoing thoughts above about your dad and your list.

I've been thinking a lot about how the Sabres draft: fearless, relentless, committed to self-improvement, self-aware, on-ice intelligence, good teammate, trending upward...

When I'm looking at how those qualities apply to the players that might be available where we pick, I find myself looking more and more at Kasper.

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

 

When I'm looking at how those qualities apply to the players that might be available where we pick, I find myself looking more and more at Kasper.

He’s a friendly ghost

Edited June 16, 2022 by thewookie1