2022 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[pmorrow]

General banter thread.

Draft starts July 7th at 7et.

[niconasr]

Habs better select Wright. Then whether they make a splash or not, I think they'll be happy with their night.

[Daydream Nation]

Habs better select Wright. Then whether they make a splash or not, I think they'll be happy with their night.

I hope you're right. I want Slaf, who I think will be the better pro, on the Devils to pair with Hughes.

[niconasr]

I hope you're right. I want Slaf, who I think will be the better pro, on the Devils to pair with Hughes.

Wright is perfect for the Habs and Slaf is perfect for the Devils. This shouldn't be hard even though it does seem like everyone is trying to overtime it.

I don't mind the Habs doing their due diligence and looking at all angles but if they keep the pick (as they obviously will) then Wright must be the pick.

[ross10019]

As a Habs fan, I say draft Wright and have him play one more OHL year.

[pmorrow]

As a Habs fan, I say draft Wright and have him play one more OHL year.

I would agree with this development plan even though he was exceptional status. He missed a year due to covid. I'd send him back then bring him back overripe.

[niconasr]

I guess that could happen but I doubt it will mostly because Wright will probably fight it. I think it's wrong to make a decision like that before training camp. If he shows up and doesn't look ready to compete quite yet at that level, then yeah, send him back. Don't go in with preconceived notions though.

[2014olympicgold]

Odds for the picks:
1st - Wright (-270), Slafkovsky (+160), Cooley (+2000)
2nd - Slafkovsky (-175), Wright (+250), Jiricek (+600), Cooley (+1000), Nemec (+2500)
3rd - Cooley (-250), Nemec (+400), Slafkovsky (+550), Wright (+1400), Jiricek (+2000)

[PicklePickle]

Am I the only one that's in love with Lambert?

[YzermansLegacy]

Am I the only one that's in love with Lambert?

I'm really big on Lambert too... so I'm glad we're not drafting in any leagues together lol. Coincidentally I also love pickles.

All the scouting reports I read on him said the same thing - huge red flags. I'm still drafting him where I can, but I'm resigned to him maybe not putting all those tools together too.

He's my 2nd fave F prospect in this class (after Wright)... so I feel the love for him too!

[Pengwin7]

One of my favourite tools for drafts is to see "consensus" lists.
EOTP (Eyes on the Prize: SB Nation) has a good recently released list - well, yesterday!
https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2...rospects-elite
[Viewing note - I'd recommend viewing this link on a cell/mobile, turned landscape. On PC, it's shit - and you have to scroll down to get the scroll bar to go left/right - which loses player name and rank: bad format.]

This is the best consensus list I've seen so far... as they have 15 sources and pitch the high and low ranks per player.

Some notes:
1. Lambert is 14th on this list... and has the biggest "range" of anybody in the consensus top 25.
An absolutely CRAZY range of 39, with a high of 3.
This definitely does say something - and confirms that some people LOVE him and others do not.

2. Nazar, from my reading has been the absolute most polarizing player.
I find that the "youngest" internet draft analysts just LOVE him.
And the older, more experienced draft analysts have him around 15-on.
To be honest, for me this is a big tell. The older guys - they talk to scouts and past GMs.
Nazar is an effin eye-popping guy to watch when he plays U18 games or against shitty USHL or low-level colleges.
But if he's a C1 or C2... how's he going to hack-it playing 200' game against men. I think elder prospect analysts see this and the younger ones do not.
Still got a chance to put up huge points... but, for me, it's IF he gets thrown onto the wing. Which might happen... it might not.
He's got 50-80pt range for me, depending if he's a C2 or a W1 in his 3rd/4th/5th NHL years.

3. Marco Kasper. This is the player most out-of-place, IMO. Everything I read suggests he's going to be drafted 7th-10th, because he's as close to NHL-ready as there is in this draft.
But this consensus has him at 15. So I'm quite curious who has him so low.
This said, not sure how he'll translate to fantasy hockey - as what I read suggests he may have one of the best all-around two-way games offered for forwards.
I also thought he was a "C" and everything I read pegs him as a "C", but listened to a podcast yesterday that said he played primarily Wing in his league last year.

4. Cutter Gauthier. As mentioned with Kasper, even though he played a ton of wing, NHL scouts seem to be projecting him as a Center.
It'll be interesting to see whether Gauthier will be a C or W. Most high-end kids can play either... but at the NHL-level, it's a different ball-game.
So Gauthier will be an interesting kid to see play in his D+1 year.
Gauthier will be in Boston College next year so those drafting him should make not of how they line him up.



This is, for me, one of the more interesting drafts.
Several European leagues are offering just one or two first round draft players.
And the USNTDP has about 6-8 guys that are being ranked first round... but they all played off each other.
So it'll be interesting as this draft plays out to see how teams are mixing these two types of players: some playing tough competition, but with more mature players... and the USNTDP who had younger competition, but had a lot of high-end talent around them. Playing with better teammates... or playing against stronger competition... which condition is better for player development. I honestly don't know... and wish I could time-travel 5 years from now so I knew which guys were the right picks in this draft.

[Bubba55]

If you figure out that time travel thing Pengwin, let me know, I'd like to hitch a ride (:

[loppantorkel]

.. and wish I could time-travel 5 years from now so I knew which guys were the right picks in this draft.

Your Draft Winners/Losers 5 years from now (Not really answering your question, but somewhat fun read nonetheless)

Interesting thoughts on Nazar. I haven't gotten my head around how people could have so different opinions of him, but that makes some sense.


Isn't it always the same thing about the first picks. Clear no.1 who closer to draft day becomes not so sure at first. Then in the end:
1. Wright
2. Slafkovsky
3. Cooley
4. 1st D
5. 2nd D
..and the rest.

[Pengwin7]

^Oh... awesome bump on that 2017 draft comments. (SOME REP to you for finding and linking that.)

I love re-visiting those... always crossing my fingers that I didn't say something utterly idiotic! (which happens!)
(I only have comments towards Liljegren and that he seems like he'll *pop* only with the right use and the right D-partner... which seems fairly fine so far. Leafs have to find that fit, he does show some potential).

There were some users who hit on their comments towards Pettersson.
Ironically, not a single comment towards what Makar might become in that thread.
And not a single comment suggesting that Nolan Patrick could *bust* - which he has, thus far.

Also - I think everybody and their mother expected the fast/shifty Yamamoto to pop on a team with McDavid.
And he's showed flashes, but he's not a full fit there yet.

Man... that 2017 draft was a doozy for MOST teams and many fantasy GMs (myself included: Nolan Patrick with #2, ugh.)

[kovalchuk17]

my main takeaway from that 2017 draft thread was 'we know nothing' lol

nice to see pettersson more or less pan out though!