NHL Draft 2022

There has been a lot of debate in recent weeks, but the choice at first overall is clear.

That decision is sure to be more of a debate, one we’ll hold once the Toronto Maple Leafs make their choice at 25. As for us, we are perfectly content to deem him the best player in the draft class and the one we’d select first. It’s less worrying that he didn’t pile up more points when his underlying stats like shot-creation and transition play are both at the top of the class. There were several quality options on the board, as you’d expect when having the choice of any draft-eligible player in the entire class. Leading up to the NHL Draft Lottery, we polled our community to see which player they wanted to take among a group of the top prospects available. It’s the first time we’ve made the opening selection in the mock draft in SB Nation’s history, which dates back to 2009.

With names like Shane Wright, Brad Lambert, and Matthew Savoie all headlining favorites for the top-ranked player in what was shaping up to be a strong draft ...

Returning to the SHL for his D+1 year but could be one of the more NHL ready players in the draft. Good upside, but a long-term prospect, and the Russian factor is at play here. There are big questions about when if ever he comes to North America, but the skill and upside demand he is a first-round pick regardless. He drops the gloves but can also score with his hard shot and drive to the net. The biggest concern in his game is hit size – 5-9 and 179 pounds. The Michigan commit has size, skill, hockey sense, is a net front presence, plays a physical and two-way game. His usage in the KHL was limited and it would have been nice to see him play more minutes in another league. Thinks the game fast and has the hands and feet to match. Big, skilled, and mobile he is perhaps the most NHL-ready player in the draft. Has the upside to be the biggest impact defenseman in this draft class. His shot is quick, accurate and the release is very sneaky. The pandemic all but eliminated an entire season of development for the 2021 Draft Class, and there is still some fallout from that impact.

1. Montreal Canadiens · 2. New Jersey Devils · 3. Arizona Coyotes · 4. Seattle Kraken · 5. Philadelphia Flyers · 6. Columbus Blue Jackets (CHI Pick) · 7. Ottawa ...

The draft has also seen some big trades made in past years. 28. Buffalo Sabres (FLA Pick) 27. Arizona Coyotes (CAR Pick) 16. Buffalo Sabres (VGK Pick) Let’s go over what the first round looks like. The draft will feature stars like Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, Logan Cooley and Simon Nemec expected to go in the top four.

The SB Nation mock draft rolls on, and just like that, we've made it through the first four picks and the Flyers are on the clock.

This season was a pretty clear look at what happens, how quickly things can go sideways, when a team doesn’t have enough defensemen who are able to move the puck, so that’s a pretty clear and present stylistic need, and Jiricek would address that as well. His defensive game is already quite solid, he’s aggressive and forechecks well, he’s excellent at getting the puck moving up-ice in transition (using both his strong skating and an accurate first pass), and with a hard and accurate shot, he’s able to chip in a nice bit on the offensive side as well. The SB Nation mock draft rolls on, and just like that, we’ve made it through the first four picks and the Flyers are on the clock.

Once again, we have gathered the SBN NHL sites together to put on our general manager caps and play pretend for the first round of the league's annual entry ...

Compared to the other notable draft eligible player out of Liiga this year, Kemell outproduced Juraj Slafkovsky in primary points per game with 0.49, relative to Slafkovsky’s 0.32. Kemell also was more productive than the Slovak winger at even strength. This season was a pretty clear look at what happens, how quickly things can go sideways, when a team doesn’t have enough defensemen who are able to move the puck, so that’s a pretty clear and present stylistic need, and Jiricek would address that as well. The common refrain around Nemec is that he is good at just about everything he does. Basically, he can be the next Pierre-Luc Dubois or the next Josh Anderson. Granted, Pavel Zacha, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Dawson Mercer jumped relatively quickly into the NHL. It is not a position with a lot of age on the squad. It’s safe to say that his game will translate well to the NHL. He is listed as 6’4”, 218 pounds, and is already an established power forward. There are teams who would spend a relatively high pick to select a guaranteed third-line player; Wright’s floor is that of a second-line centre with defensive prowess and offensive ability that will serve him well in the NHL. I do not worry about the position. There were several quality options on the board, as you’d expect when having the choice of any draft-eligible player in the entire class. Once again, we have gathered the SBN NHL sites together to put on our general manager caps and play pretend for the first round of the league’s annual entry draft. And there are two very good defencemen at the top in David Jiricek and Simon Nemec as well.