2022 Draft Class Superlatives

[Sexymarinersfan]

The 2022 NHL Draft is here … almost!

You know the drill. Seven rounds. Thirty-two teams. Two days (this year at the Bell Centre in Montreal instead of the NHL’s studios in Secaucus, N.J.).

Here’s everything I’m thinking about as the clock winds down, to my last-minute rankings tweak and my “best of” at a variety of skills (shooting, skating, hands, puck protection, physicality, smarts, etc.), as well as links to all of my draft coverage this year.

Class superlatives
Best skaters

1.Frank Nazar, C, U.S. NTDP
2.Matt Savoie, C, Winnipeg Ice
3.Brad Lambert, C, Pelicans
4.Logan Cooley, C, U.S. NTDP
5.David Goyette, C, Sudbury Wolves
6.Michael Fisher, RHD, St. Mark’s School
7.Jake Livanavage, LHD, Chicago Steel
8.Denton Mateychuk, LHD, Moose Jaw Warriors
9.Zakary Lavoie, RW, Mississauga Steelheads
10.saac Howard, LW, U.S. NTDP

Honorable mentions: Kocha Delic, Owen Pickering, Paul Ludwinski, Danny Zhilkin, Noah Ostlund, Julian Lutz, Cedrick Guindon, Vinzenz Rohrer.

Best shot

1.Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgardens IF
2.Cutter Gauthier, LW/C, U.S. NTDP
3.Jiri Kulich, C/RW/LW, HC Energie Karlovy Vary
4.Joakim Kemell, RW, JYP
5.Shane Wright, C, Kingston Frontenacs
6.Matt Savoie, C, Winnipeg Ice
7.David Jiricek, RHD, HC Plzen
8.Rutger McGroarty, LW, U.S. NTDP
9.Liam Ohgren, LW, Djurgardens IF
10.Josh Nadeau, RW, Penticton Vees

Honorable mentions: Viktor Neuchev, Isaac Howard, Gleb Trikozov, Jagger Firkus, Ryan Chesley, Elias Salomonsson, Mattias Havelid, Ivan Miroshnichenko.

Best hands

1.Logan Cooley, C, U.S. NTDP
2 Matt Savoie, C, Winnipeg Ice
3.Jagger Firkus, RW, Moose Jaw Warriors
4.Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgardens IF
5.Isaac Howard, LW, U.S. NTDP
6.Noah Ostlund, C, Djurgardens IF
7.Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS
8.Brad Lambert, C/RW, Pelicans
9.Markus Vidicek, C, Halifax Mooseheads

Honorable mentions: Seamus Casey, Viktor Neuchev, Jack Hughes, Danny Zhilkin.

Best puck protection

Matyas Sapovaliv, C/LW, Saginaw Spirit
Logan Cooley, C, U.S. NTDP
Conor Geekie, C, Winnipeg Ice
Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS
Lane Hutson, LHD, U.S. NTDP
Honorable mention: Rieger Lorenz.

Most physical

1.Rayan Bettahar, LHD, Swift Current Bronco
2.Reid Schaefer, LW, Seattle Thunderbirds
3.Jack Sparkes, RHD, St. Michael’s Buzzers
4.Lian Bichsel, LHD, Leksands IF
5.Noah Warren, RHD, Gatineau Olympiques
6.Maveric Lamoureux, RHD, Drummondville Voltigeurs

Honorable mentions: Samuel Mayer, Josh Davies, David Jiricek, Nathan Gaucher, Ryan Chesley, Devin Kaplan, Michael Mastrodomenico.

Smartest

1.Lane Hutson, LHD, U.S. NTDP
2 Simon Nemec, RHD, HK Nitra
3 Shane Wright, C, Kingston Frontenacs
4.Mats Lindgren, LHD, Kamloops Blazers
5.Noah Ostlund, C, Djurgardens IF
6.Jordan Dumais, RW, Halifax Mooseheads
7.Marco Kasper, C/RW, Rogle BK
8.Jordan Gustafson, C, Seattle Thunderbirds
9.Tristan Luneau, RHD, Gatineau Olympiques

Honorable mentions: Denton Mateychuk, Jack Hughes, Fraser Minten, Lucas Edmonds, Danila Yurov.

If I could select anyone in the entire draft that I wanted, I'd go with C Logan Cooley hands down.

Who would I prefer that we select with Shane Wright, Juraj Slavkofsky, and Cooley all most likely off the board? Simon Nemec. Who do I think we will select? David Jiříček.