Draft 2022

[NWTHabsFan]

Funny stuff. I would not complain lol.

[NWTHabsFan]

Moose Jaw kids showing well. Darn it, I was trying to keep that secret for a bit longer 😂

They actually smoked the powerhouse Oil Kings one game earlier this year. That pretty well does not happen. Lots of talent with their stars and depth. The Oil Kings would prevail in a series, but they are the CHL’s top dog after all.

[NWTHabsFan]

Fun exhibition game, now back to regular scheduled programming. The playoff stretch continues for most draft eligible kids that will impact rankings way more than a fun one night showcase, as entertaining as it can be for fans and scouts. Tonight is a very good opportunity for many to see a few kids they may not have seen before. And yes, I always enjoy this game. Why not?

[folatre]

The league announced the Draft Lottery will be May 10, so the wait for suffering fans of awful teams is relatively short.

Cosentino's latest draft rankings came out today. The top five: Wright, Cooley, Slafkovsky, Savoie, and Nemec. Some kids from the Q project as late first rounders (Luneau, Gaucher, Lamoureaux, Warren).

Now that old work routines have largely returned and water cooler talk is a thing again, the other day a buddy said something like long season eh, you guys need to nail this draft, do you think Marty Lapointe is up to it? The mention of a scouting newb like Lapointe having a major role in this draft made me immediately feel worse than I did before I heard his name that morning. But I walked back to my office and started thinking that hey Gorton and Hughes are hard core hockey junkies and I have a sense those two will have well-informed opinions about the top 50-75 kids in this draft.

Please tell me you agree, NW, jeje. I hate to imagine Lapointe alone in the cockpit flying the plane over the Bermuda Triangle on July 7-8.

Unless trades get made, Montreal will have three in the top 35 and six in the top 75. So whoever is providing the main weight in those early picks, man, they really need to deliver the goods.

[NWTHabsFan]

HuGo are both headed to Bavaria for the U18s, so they will be quite informed on a number of the draft eligible kids. They also brought in Bobrov to give a second opinion to Lapointe. I tend to agree that with these high picks this draft, this should help define the future of the franchise in addition to the kids already in the fold. Mistakes will not be tolerated 😆

Gorton has been known for his scouting skills and Hughes will know a ton of kids from his player agent role of attracting new clients and his kids playing in that age group. I expect they will be more hands on this draft until they hire their own top draft guru in the off-season (speculating that they will want a more senior guy running future drafts similar to the AGM role TT had).

[NWTHabsFan]

Some updates from the U18s.

[Andrew]

With Habs guaranteed a top 3 pick, who does everyone like for their top 3? (and hopefully it's not 3 with our track record and #3 picks). I haven't seen any lists with Wright outside the top spot. Pronman has him rated as "Projected bubble NHL All-Star and top of the lineup player". Far from a generational talent, but would slot in nicely with Suzuki as a 1a / 1b tandem up the middle. After that there are some interesting names, and it seems pretty debatable. Slafkovsky and Cooley both seem like good bets.

[jkr]

Mar 23, 2022 19:35:50 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Vintage Firkus. He is even more fun live. Small, but what a shot (that was not even his best effort).

Is his first name really Jagger? Are his parents Stones fans?

[folatre]

Canada was undone, again, by needless penalties and poor penalty killing. It sure looks like the Americans are rolling.

If lottery luck smiles on Montreal, I would certainly imagine Wright will be their guy. In my opinion, Cooley is a lesser prospect offensively than Jack Hughes was, but for me he is #2. I have the Euros rounding out the remainder of the top five (Slafkovsky, Nemec, Jiritek), though I think either Kemell or Savoie could legitimately go top five.

[Tankdriver]

I have it Wright, Cooley and Slafkovsky but it depends on who gets picks 1 through 3. Centers have more value than a winger and I feel like Slafkovsky is this years KK, coming off 1 great tournament (Olympics) and will be a top 3 pick.

[drkcloud]

Does anyone have any insight into how close Wright is considered to be NHL ready? If the chips fall the right way, is he ready enough to be pencilled into a spot on the Canadiens, understanding he is a good but not generational player?

[folatre]

You pose a good, legit question. I suppose the issue pivots, aside from the pressure on most 1st overall kids to make the immediate jump, on whether Montreal's front office believes that Wright would gain much developmentally returning to the OHL. Yes, it helped Suzuki but I am not sure how the calculus of the decision would look for Wright.

Wright is a sturdy guy physically and he thinks the game at a high level in all three zones. Hockey is debatable, but I think it would be awkward for the Habs to select him and send him back to Kingston.

[NWTHabsFan]

Apr 29, 2022 18:25:10 GMT -5 Tankdriver said:

I have it Wright, Cooley and Slafkovsky but it depends on who gets picks 1 through 3. Centers have more value than a winger and I feel like Slafkovsky is this years KK, coming off 1 great tournament (Olympics) and will be a top 3 pick.

I definitely think Nemec gets in that list as well as his plays has really been getting better and Jiríček has such upside. I know it ends up a top five, but after Wright I think those other four are very strong and close options.

[NWTHabsFan]

Apr 29, 2022 19:32:54 GMT -5 drkcloud said:

Does anyone have any insight into how close Wright is considered to be NHL ready? If the chips fall the right way, is he ready enough to be pencilled into a spot on the Canadiens, understanding he is a good but not generational player?

I think with him missing a whole season last year and coming off an injury at the U18s last year, he can definitely benefit from another dominant year in juniors. Let him work on a bunch of small things that improve his game away from the pressure of the NHL, as he would only be eligible to play NHL or CHL due to his age.

I hope the Habs end up with this problem in their hands!

[PTH]

Apr 29, 2022 21:52:58 GMT -5 folatre said:

You pose a good, legit question. I suppose the issue pivots, aside from the pressure on most 1st overall kids to make the immediate jump, on whether Montreal's front office believes that Wright would gain much developmentally returning to the OHL. Yes, it helped Suzuki but I am not sure how the calculus of the decision would look for Wright.

Wright is a sturdy guy physically and he thinks the game at a high level in all three zones. Hockey is debatable, but I think it would be awkward for the Habs to select him and send him back to Kingston.

I hold the view that just about any kid benefits from one extra Junior year, if only to learn to deal with the fame that suddenly isn't limited to Junior hockey fans, getting more strength training in, etc.

And having him in Junior one more year more it even more clear that next season is still a rebuilding year where expectations have to be low. (which is obvious to hard core fans, but casual fans just see a highly-touted kid in the lineup and expect great things)

[NWTHabsFan]

Stunning upset at the U18s with Sweden shocking the heavily favoured Americans 6-4.

I will be getting back to doing more draft related posts now to talk about the various country depth and other non-CHL leagues…just because. 😆

[NWTHabsFan]

Time for some more country and league updates post-U18s. I had hoped to get some done before the U18s, but I was out of the country until recently so put it off until now.

The first country profile will be Sweden, hot off their stunning World U18 Championship. The last number of years have seen a growing number of Swedish prospects going in the first round as the overall quality of prospects out of Swedish junior leagues is consistently strong. While the numbers in the first round may be down a bit from a very strong class last year, there is a lot to like from this group of Swedish youngsters. The conversation on draft eligible players from Sweden just has to start with a line of three forwards that play together for Djurgårdens in the J20 league and also were the top line for the Swedish recent U18 championship squad. Jonathan Lekkerimäki is the top player on this line and one of the best ones in the draft. He really jumped out for me at last summer’s Hlinka, but he looked even better at the recent U18s in Bavaria. His linemates are speedy and shifty centre Noah Östlund and scoring winger Liam Öhgren. Left winger Ludwig Persson, from Frölunda Jr, who was a teammate on the U18 squad, is the start of the next tier of Swedish forwards that will get drafted on day two.

Sweden always seems to produce NHL calibre defenders, and there are a few of note this draft. Matthias Havelid really had a superb U18s, and has looked good against his age group. At only 5’10”, there are the usual concerns about his ability to shut down man-sized forwards. Elias Salomonsson is a tall, lanky two way defender from Skelleftea Jr, and he was a top defender at the U18s as well. Was his offensive upside exagerated a bit? That seems to be the question right now. Calle Odelius is a solid two way defender who is mobile and played a key role on the U18 squad as well, and plays his club games at Djurgårdens along with the dynamic trio of forwards above.

This is not a good year for goaltenders overall, and Sweden is no exception. Undersized 5’10” goalie Hugo Havelid (twin of defender Matthias) is the top Swedish goalie and second European goalie ranked, but his height will scare off teams for sure who like to start their goalie conversations at 6’2” and taller. However, just ask the American NDTP U18 what they think of his athleticism and ability to stop pucks after a heroic gold medal win against the favourites.

[NWTHabsFan]

Let’s keep it rolling with a profile of the always plucky Finns. The big name for this draft from Finland for a few years leading up to the draft has been speedy and skilled forward Brad Lambert. A year ago, he was a consensus top three pick, but his lack of production in Liiga really hurt his stock. He did have a very good showing in the few games that they were able to get in during the cancelled WJC in December, so we will see how he does in August when it is replayed. He still is a top 12 guy in this draft, and really should be well within the top ten on anyone’s list. The name that has overtaken him as top Finnish prospect for the draft is fellow forward Joakim Kemell The right winger from JYP really made his mark for me at the Hlinka last August, but he really tore up the Liiga as an underage to start this year before he missed some time with an injury. He was the go-to offensive guy from the Bronze medal winning Finnish team at the U18s as Lambert is a late birthday and has aged out.

A couple of other Finnish forwards likely will be part of the next tier of Finnish players that hear their names on Day two from the second round onwards. Big winger Jani Nyman from Ilves Jr and centre Aleksanteri Kaskimäki from HIFK Jr were both part of that medalist U18 team in the top six. On defence, the mobile two way RHDs Otto Salin and Kasper Kulonummi were both part of the U18 team as well, and will be part of a strong contingent of mobile defenders that should hear their names on day two. Tall goalie Topias Leinonen was the starter for the U18 team and is the top ranked European goalie from the final NHL central scouting lists. He is still a bit raw, and is part of a generally underwhelming goalie draft class this year. But he has that desired height and good international experience.

[NWTHabsFan]

One last one for today. I will finish up with the old neighbours of Czechia and Slovakia. It has been a bit dry for top end prospects from both countries for a while, especially Slovakia. That is all changing with a great resurgence of a great U18 Slovakian group of players, and a top guy already in the mix for a top five spot in 2023.

From Czechia, the top player is big, physical RD David Jiríćek. He was injured early in his first WJC game against Canada on Boxing Day, and missed time due to that knee injury. He recently returned and has been a horse for his Plzen mens team and most recently with the Czechia national mens team. He should be part of the world championship team for the Czechs. His physicality and booming shot make him hard to miss. The top forward from Czechia was the leading goal scorer at the U18s, Jiri Kulich. He has definitely seen his name enter the late first round discussions after that solid performance in Germany against top competition. Tomas Hamara was the top defender for the Czechia team at the U18s and the OHL’s Saginaw centre Matyas Sapovaliv was the top line centre who played with sniper Kulich and impressive underage 2023 pick Eduard Sale. He is definitely not the same caliber as his two line mates, but he will get picked in the second or third round.

From Slovakia, the team that won silver at the Hlinka last year really took off internationally with some true top end talent. Both big winger Juraj Slafkovsky and stud defender RHD Simon Nemec are pretty well household names as likely top five draft picks and two kids who played for their country at the Olympics. Heck, Slafkovsky lead the tournament in goals and was the mvp. You also cannot sleep on shifty and skilled winger Filip Mesar who is a second half of the first round pick in a few months. Nemec and Slafkovsky will be a big part of the Slovakia team in Finland at the worlds later this month too. HuGo are off to watch them and Jiríćek for obvious reasons.

[NWTHabsFan]

This will be an interesting year for Russian prospects, to say the least. The “Russian Factor” that may or may not still exist for NHL teams up to this year will be on steroids given the current political situation and war in the Ukraine. The NHL will still be allowing Russian and Belarusian players to be eligible for the draft, but the CHL is making them ineligible for the upcoming import draft. Existing players can still continue to play in the CHL next season though. I am always a big fan of the talent and potential value of Russian players compared to more viewed or accessible prospects, and I will say the current political uncertainty will definitely make certain Russian players drop in the draft and be even more of a value pick (albeit with risk) this draft. In a contrarian stance, I would be eying Russian prospects even more so this draft. A team with loads of picks can afford to swing for the fences with Russian kids that drop way too far…hello Montreal Canadiens.

There are a number of Russians who still should go first round (or slip slightly into the second given the uncertainty). Daniela Yurov and Ivan Miroshnichenko are the top two skilled forwards and have played well together on past national teams. Yurov is the play driver and Miroshnichenko is the big shooter. The latter is an even bigger question mark given his health diagnosis but he is getting treatment in Germany and hopefully should be back. Where he goes now is anyone’s guess, but he will be a potential swing for the fences steal if he drops too far. The top defender is way less risky as Pavel Mintyukov is showing off his puck moving elite skills with Saginaw in the OHL and vaulting up the draft boards. He should be the third D off the board in July. Other forwards to watch and potentially scoop up include skilled Alexander Perevavov, shifty and exciting Gleb Trikozov, fast Ilya Kvochko, massive and imposing Kirill Dolzhenkov, playmaking Ruslan Gazizov who plays for the London Knights, and fast and skilled scorer Viktor Neuchev.

On defence, undersized puck mover Vladimir Grudinin, offensive Artyom Duda, and solid two way defender Arseni Koromyslov are all solid draft targets as well.

Teams may really be nervous about when they may be able to get drafted Russian kids over to North America, which may scare some more teams off from Russian players this draft. For the Habs this year with loads of picks, this is a year to pounce on a few and also waiting a few years is not a bad thing for a team with lots of unsigned prospects as it allows the team to stagger and spread out its ELCs more versus the short two year decision point on CHL drafted prospects. Managing its 50 contract limit is and will be a big deal for the Habs, so expect a number of draft picks to be from outside the CHL to provide a little longer signing runway.

[folatre]

Nice summaries on the principal European countries, NW. There is a lot of talent and a team like Montreal with six picks in the top 75 should be well positioned.

I have probably underappreciated the Swedish forwards in this draft. They made the Americans wonder what hit them in Bavaria.

Everyone is wondering what kind of diamond in the rough could be available when the Habs use the Calgary pick. I know that we have already been talking about some kids from the Q. But it is certainly intriguing to think about if Lambert, Yurov, or Kulich could possibly defy the odds and be there. It is likelier, though, a huge talent such as Miroshnichenko whose stock has dropped not only because of the Russia issue but also because of illness and purported attitude could be sitting there for the taking.

[seventeen]

Thought I'd post this article from The Athletic

Is Shane Wright still the No. 1 pick? What’s at stake at the NHL Draft Lottery

"Cory Pronman, May 9, 2022

Shane Wright entered the 2021-22 season as the consensus No. 1 prospect for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He was considered a true elite prospect by many scouts, a potential star No. 1 center. After being granted exceptional status to play in the OHL as a 15-year-old, he promptly scored 39 goals in 58 OHL games. He scored 9 goals and 14 points in 5 games at the U-18 Worlds as an underage player. He was on the path to stardom and it seemed inevitable he would have a great draft season.

Then the season started and Wright got out of the gates slowly. He had 8 points in 8 games in the season’s opening month. He also didn’t seem particularly impactful in the games I saw. Various reasonable rationales for his less-than-exceptional play started to come from around the NHL, with onlookers pointing to sample size or his missed season in 2020-21 as factors that could lead to a slow start.

It’s hard to speculate how much the missed season impacted players’ development, but it’s worth noting that it hasn’t seemed to slow Dallas pick Wyatt Johnston or Seattle pick Ryan Winterton from being among the top scorers in the OHL in points/game. Wright did come on strong in the second half though and ended up in the top 10 in OHL scoring.

Wright’s statistics coming up always looked amazing, but I admit there were only a couple of times when I saw him and was truly blown away: the opening game of the U17 challenge and his U18 worlds game vs. Sweden. He scored a hat trick in both. The obvious caveat here is that he was always so young that I just reasonably concluded that age was the reason why he wasn’t consistently having great games.

Those past viewings inform this season’s, though. I’ve talked to scouts about what they’ve seen and I’ve watched over a dozen Kingston games, both live and via video. The realization and common thought around the industry is that Wright simply lacks the dynamic athleticism and skill elements you typically associate with a No. 1 pick. He’s an excellent player and NHL prospect, but he doesn’t have Nathan MacKinnon’s skating, Patrick Kane’s hands, or Steven Stamkos’ shot. I historically viewed Wright’s shot as elite, but it didn’t look that way this season, and in fact he had twice as many assists as goals. Wright is just a very well-rounded player, which admittedly can be boring for a first overall pick. It’s why you hear scouts project him as Patrice Bergeron and Ryan O’Reilly, neither of whom, mind you, were first-round picks due to their lack of some of those dynamic elements. You can argue this is a risky projection for a teenager when there isn’t a very large talent high side to hit. That said, similar descriptions could be used for the top two picks in the 2021 draft in Owen Power and Matthew Beniers. My current comparable for Wright would be Rangers center Mika Zibanejad.

Wright has been quite productive this season, but compared to where top CHL prospects usually are, it’s clear he’s not at the level you’re used to seeing of a first overall pick in terms of dominance of his respective CHL league.

Shane Wright’s grip on the No. 1 pick has yet to be challenged in part due to the lack of an obvious riser this season. Logan Cooley is an excellent prospect but has 36 points in 24 USHL games. Joakim Kemell got off to a scorching start in Liiga but has since slowed down considerably, and the same can be said to a lesser extent about Matthew Savoie in the WHL. Juraj Slafkovsky had a tremendous Olympics and overall has been impressive in international play the last two seasons, but despite a good last few weeks with his club his overall Liiga production is nothing amazing.

“You’re keeping a guy at first overall based mostly on what he’s done in past seasons and not in his draft season,” said one NHL executive. “I think that’s dangerous.” This is a reasonable thought, and it’s one I’ve considered more than once. Most NHL scouts I’ve discussed Wright with admit they’re not jumping out of their seats for him at the No. 1 pick, but they also admit he would be their pick simply due to the lack of an obvious alternate. There were several scouts in the first half of the season arguing to me that Logan Cooley was a plausible alternative, but less so lately after Cooley didn’t light it up this season. Lately there have been scouts arguing Slafkovsky as the main challenger to Wright, with a minority suggesting they would indeed take the Slovakian winger if they had the first pick.

Wright and Slafkovsky’s seasons are not over yet, though. Due to how delayed the CHL playoffs are, we still have to see how Wright fares in the postseason. Could an early Kingston exit cause more uncertainty with the No. 1 pick? What if they unseat OHL favorite Hamilton? What if Slafkovsky has a big World Championships with NHL players in attendance? These are questions that are yet to be answered on the eve of the lottery.

Projections when a player is an 18-year-old are no guarantee. Just because Wright doesn’t look like a lights-out No. 1 pick doesn’t mean he can’t be. There are times that has happened, when a No. 1 pick like Nico Hischier in 2017 and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011 didn’t get you that excited and that ended up being predictive even though they’re very good players. There were also years like 2014 in Aaron Ekblad and Patrick Kane in 2007 — players who weren’t consensus No. 1s and ended up becoming legit foundational pieces. There are also years like 2020, when Alexis Lafreniere looked like a future star and, at least to date, that hasn’t happened yet.

There are still quite a few scouts who are big believers in Wright, and who think he’ll be a true star center in the NHL and would relish the opportunity to select him. I also personally believe he projects as a first line center, someone who can be a top 15-20 center in the league. As the season has progressed, though, there has been more caution among scouts in projecting Wright, and there are quite a few evaluators who don’t see that high side I do.

Wright remains the crown jewel for the team that wins the lottery. At this current moment I have a hard time seeing a team taking someone else like Slafkovsky because it remains close at best between the two and teams will lean to the center if it’s tight. Wright will likely become a very important player for whichever NHL organization picks him. But he’s no sure thing to become a legitimate NHL star or a top scorer in the league, and as the lottery balls begin to swirl, the story of the top of the 2022 NHL Draft has yet to be fully written.

[folatre]

Seventeen, thanks for sharing an insightful piece.

Nobody has a crystal ball to peer 5 or 15 years into the future. So while it is perfectly reasonable to suspect someone not named Shane Wright will ultimately turn out to be the best NHLer from the 2022 draft class, the problem is the identity of that player is not clear at all.

I like Wright and I believe his game translates safely (high floor) into becoming a productive top six centre. And Wright is indeed the kid I would take with the first overall pick in this draft. Of course, it would be nicer to be salivating over striking lottery gold tomorrow in order to select a McDavid or Matthews, but generational prospects by definition do not come around very often.

I have no idea what Gorton and Hughes are hoping the Habs roster looks like in 2022-23, though thinking long-term for me it would be perfectly reasonable to be near the bottom of the league next season.

[NWTHabsFan]

Carrying on with some more draft profiles, I will shift to south of the border where it should be a strong draft for USA based players. In particular, this is a very strong and deep draft for the US NTDP U18 team that plays in the USHL and also against NCAA division 1 teams. They also form the vast majority, if not the entire team, that the USA send to the IIHF U18 world championships. They operate two squads, the U17 team (2005 born players this year) and the U18 team (2004 born players, including a few late birthdays that will be eligible in 2023 draft like Stramel). The top players on the U17 team do get “called up” to play games with the older squad throughout the year, including at the U18 worlds.

I rate this team right up there with the Jack Hughes team in terms of depth and potential impact on the draft. A lot of this team should be drafted in the first round, and others will follow in later rounds showing the depth of this squad. The top player is speedy centre Logan Cooley, who is in the conversation at #2 overall for good reason. A strong showing as an underage player at the shortened WJC, a very solid and improving USHL season, and a very good performance at the U18s all have boosted his stock. I have seen this team play a fair bit, and he is a solid prospect. Not Jack Hughes calibre, but that is the story of this draft as there are very good players at the top, but they would not knock off any of the top picks in recent past drafts.

The forward depth is quite impressive with some good showings all year from shifty and dynamic Frank Nazar, power forward Cutter Gauthier, skilled scorer Isaac Howard, two way Jimmy Snuggerud who has good hands, and big silky mitts of Rutger McGroarty who likely would be an very high pick this years if his skating was better and he had quicker first few steps. There are a few other guys who will go mid rounds who could be great value due to getting a lot less exposure and ice time compared to the top guys. One of the more exciting forwards is skilled power forward Charlie Stramel, but his late birthday will put him in next summer’s draft, where he is already quite highly rated in a very good draft.

On defence, their most skilled and exciting mobile defender is also the smallest guy on the team. Lane Hutson is an absolute treat to watch, but he is small. That size will drop him later than his first round talent would suggest. Ryan Chesley and Seamus Casey are two very strong two way defenders who should hear their names quite early in the draft. I expect a few other defenders on the team will also be picked up in mid to later rounds.

The team does not have superb goaltending, but that is the story of this draft. Their top two guys will still get drafted though.

Expect to see a lot of kids from this team drafted, and I fully expect a couple could end up Habs property in July too.

[NWTHabsFan]

I will do a quick little jump now to the rest of the USHL, including all players on teams other than the NTDP. In the past, this has been a favourite drafting ground for TT and crew, but they quite surprisingly drafted nobody from its ranks last year. They remembered the QMJHL lol. This league has been improving and there are a number of quality players that will hear their names called in Montreal.

The highest ranked USHL player is Winnipeg born centre Adam Ingram, who blends good size and skill. I personally like Paradise, NL native Ryan Greene a wee bit more as I like his better speed and engagement in the play, but he too is a decent sized skilled centre. Greene is the top centre on Green Bay, and often spends time on the same line with fellow top draft pick Cameron Lund who should also go around the same time. Lund was part of the last USA Hlinka-Gretzky team and one of its top contributors offensively. Quinn Finley from the Madison Capitals is also a play driving offensive forward to watch. Sioux City’s Dylan James (Calgary, AB) and Chicago’s Nick Moldenhauer (Mississauga, ON) are forwards also expected to go in the first three rounds. Moldenhauer was a teammate of 2023 draft stud Adam Fantilli at both Chicago Steel and Canada’s recent U18 team.

A pair of defenders will be worth a look as day two of the draft progresses, and both were part of the American Hlinka team as well. Skilled mobile RHD defender Ryan Healey and mobile two way LHD Jackson Dorrington will be among the earliest defenders from the league. 19 year old LHD Luke Mittelstadt was passed over last year, but his strong year with Madison this year will ensure he gets picked this season. He is definitely an offensive driving defender that teams covet these days.

With lots of picks, the benefits of picking kids from non-CHL leagues to allow a bit more staggering of entry level deals will not be lost on HuGo as part of their draft strategy. I expect a few names chosen from Europe and the USA as a result, and mainly too because it is a decently deep draft for those areas compared to some of the CHL leagues that are not as top end talented nor deep this year and the BPAs will often come from Europe or the US throughout this draft.

[NWTHabsFan]

One last one for today, looking at the NCAA and US high school hockey. I tend to see very few of these kids play and rely on scouting reports, but I did manage to see three of the five that I reference here play at points this season.

The top NCAA prospect for the draft is a well known name, as it is Kent Hughes’ younger son Jack who played at Northeastern alongside his older brother Riley and Habs prospects Harris/Struble. He is expected to go late first, or even early second to one of the 31 other teams his dad does not manage lol. Not many players are draft eligible in the college ranks as they typically have to finish high school or else further develop their game in the USHL before making the leap, so kudos to young Mr. Hughes.

The top high schooler is mobile puck moving defender Sam Rinzel. As with most kids playing high school, he is still raw but really stands out as a very legit defensive prospect for this draft. He will go fairly early as a result. Zam Plante split his year at high school and with Chicago Steel of the USHL. The 5’9” shifty forward also suited up for the US at the Hlinka last August. Plante’s Hlinka teammate, power forward Brennan Ali played a big part of his year at the Avon Farms high school, but also played 9 games with his USHL team and two with the NTDP U18 team. Rounding out my list of top kids is mobile two way defender Michael Fisher, from St Mark’s school in Mass.

[NWTHabsFan]

A quick little poll by Bobby Mac to see where some scouts stand on the possible top five in the draft as of right now.

[Willie Dog]

A guy I've never heard of from sportsnet says the habs should take Cooley...

www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhl-scouts-analysis-how-canadian-lottery-teams-could-approach-the-draft/

[Willie Dog]

I can see Wright and Roy being a deadly combo like Suze and CC, throw in some of the other prospects, and we have the makings of a competitive team...

[folatre]

For sure, they could be a nice duo. Roy is really a revelation, not in the sense that people did not know he had serious talent, but in the sense that something clicked and he committed himself to the game of hockey. It could be that neither Wright nor Roy plays in Montreal next season, although if I had to bet I would say Wright will. Roy will probably play with the Rocket and if all goes well there, then he should make the Habs in 2023-24 (Byron, Drouin and possibly Hoffman will be gone so left wing is a nice position for a talented kid to push for).