Scouching's 2022 Prospect Pyramids

​Hello once again and welcome to another season of NHL Draft analysis here at Scouching. If you aren’t familiar, last season I stole an idea from Steve Dangle who organizes the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects into a pyramid every year. I find it an elegant solution to the uncertainty in this work, considering the ups and downs that occur in a young athletes career. I extended this practice to every team in the league beginning last year and after some creative and COVID-related delays, this years update is finally here!

It is helpful to understand how I’ve organized these names to avoid screaming matches. The NHL is a tough league and it requires extreme levels of talent to consistently drive good possession results at 5v5 year over year. As such, I set my expectations relatively low and on the reserved side and hope the players surpass those expectations over time as they unseat NHL veteran talent. I’ve split the players into tiers from a Franchise-level talent (think McDavid, Matthew’s, Crosby, etc.) to a tie for players where I’d be surprised if they ever saw NHL minutes. A Core-level player is an important player on your roster that you’d really not want to trade unless you really had to. Ryan O’Reilly or Dylan Larkin come to mind immediately. You’d want a lot for them but in the right circumstances It could be possible. Depth to me is hugely nebulous. Day in and day out reliable players that may not lead your team in scoring, but certainly help out. There are a lot more of these in the NHL than core and franchise players, and this is reflected in my pyramids. A Maybe is either a high upside longshot with flaws, or a player with a decent floor without high upside traits that I maybe could see filling into NHL games. Maybe they play every game for years under a certain system and can’t get into the league under another. The Maybes are potential depth filler players or untested high upside players around the world I’ve liked. All good? Hopefully that clears things up a bit better. 

One last definition I need to get out of the way is what I mean by “prospect”. Anyone beyond 5 years of their first year of draft eligibility is excluded, so this year the cutoff is the 2018 Draft and later. If a player has played 41 NHL games or passed Calder Trophy eligibility, they are also excluded. Looking at you, Matt Boldy, even if it pains me to leave him out. These pyramids were also locked in preseason as a principle of mine, and some players are likely to shift a bit over the course of this year, especially the "maybes" who have found themselves in depth roles.

I hope you enjoy this year’s update. It’s a lot of work making sure everyone is up to date and I still make mistakes but it’s fascinating to see the landscape change over the years with how teams seem to strategize and adapt to new groups of players. Please feel free to leave a comment, or zip into my Twitter DM’s for questions! We’ve also got a new newsletter over at Substack which you can subscribe to if you’re so inclined. If you’d like to directly support my work, check out what’s offered over at my Patreon! 

Anaheim Ducks

Top Prospect: Mason McTavish
Will's Pick: Olen Zellweger
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Pavel Mintyukov

I’ve really been intrigued by what the Ducks are up to. I think when we look back on their 2022 class, we’ll see more NHL players than we expected they can hold down a role, even if thy maybe could have swung a little harder for upside. That being said, the upside picks are already in the NHL or quite close to NHL ready. Trevor Zegras is a star, Mason McTavish is working his way through a strong rookie season, and Jamie Drysdale is on his own journey. That’s not to mention the full-send defensemen on the way in Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov. It’s a fun core they’ve built and should form a strong backbone to built the rest of the team around. Mintyukov especially has been impressive for me so far this season, using his length, confidence and skill to push play offensively like I've seen him do in the past.With Saginaw's improvement, Mintyukov is doing his part.

While I think they could've done better here and there over the years in the draft, they've nailed most picks where it matters, and even when looking down the pyramid, names like Jacob Perreault, Jackson Lacombe, Henry Thrun and others are all interesting names that could supplement a good core in the future. Personally, Sean Tschigerl is a player I've liked over the years since the pandemic, and at time of writing, the winger known for his goal scoring has scored just four times in 14 games, indicating likely positive regression in the future. It's a very solid group and the Ducks system indeed looks like they may be able to squeeze more NHL games out of this group than some might think.

Arizona Coyotes

Top Prospect: Logan Cooley
Will's Pick: Logan Cooley
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Sam Lipkin

Oh the Coyotes... I wasn't a fan of their 2022 Draft outside of Logan Cooley, and when looking at my tracking doc, the Coyotes have 30 prospects listed and are bottom 10 in average NHLeScore. All other teams in the bottom ten have fewer prospects listed. Dylan Guenther has had a promising start to the NHL season, and the team is winning much more than many expected, but I still can't help but feel that there's a lot of wasted opportunity for the Coyotes in the draft. I've seen Conor Geekie play a few times this year and am still perplexed at the cost paid to move up and select him in 2022. Personal favourite Sam Lipkin has had a positive start to his NCAA tenure with Quinnipiac University, and skilled winger Mattias Macelli is having a great NHL season as well, so there are isolated areas of positives, but as always, the question is what teams leave on the table to draft who they want. For what they paid for Conor Geekie, the Coyotes could've easily added Brad Lambert and a combination of Lane Hutson, Gleb Trikozov, Jagger Firkus, Seamus Casey, etc., who are all having comparable or more impressive seasons to this point in my viewings. Obviously the story isn't over, but my eyes are curiously looking at the Coyotes and how their rebuild continues into the future.

Down the pyramid, there are just a lot of players I've expected more out of. I've always liked Daniil Savunov, but he's been stuck as a good VHL player for years without taking that next step to the KHL and sticking. Same goes for Alexander Daryin to be honest. I wasn't huge on Artyom Duda and that hasn't changed. At some point, Victor Söderstrom has to live up to expectations and I've seen him look like an excellent skilled defender in the past. The team is performing above expectations for now, and we'll see if it holds, but I still have quite a few questions about how the Coyotes are going to build a successful team through the draft when they have so much capital to play with and employing the strategy they've employed to this point.

Boston Bruins

Top Prospect: Fabian Lysell
Will's Pick: Fabian Lysell
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Fabian Lysell

The Bruins take the biggest L of the year in the prospect world in my opinion, signing a player with a well documented history of racism, abuse and abhorrent behaviour and a far less well documented history of repenting and repairing the damage he has caused. In fact, it seems likely that the player in question used his impending NHL contract as a motivator to try to directly repair the damage while claiming the two weren't related. All the while, his agent (who himself works with the NHL on diversity and inclusion initiatives) either got duped into helping Miller land a six-figure contract, or did what he could to spin the poor evidence of redemption into a story of hope and forgiveness. Both is possible. At time of writing, nobody at the Bruins have lost their job for this debacle, Eustace King is still part of the NHL's diversity and inclusion program as far as I know. It's been a week at time of writing and it seems the news has moved on, which perhaps is a sign of the times, but to me, it just indicates more and more empty pledges and promises that alienate the fans of the sport that we're trying so hard to attract.

Beyond that, The Bruins also have one of the lowest end prospect pipelines in the NHL right now, buoyed only by Fabian Lysell, who rocks. Adding Jonathan Myrenberg is also a nice pickup from the struggling Canucks. Will they find a way to plug some of these players into the bottom end of the lineup and tread water? Well, maybe, they're the Boston Bruins after all, but with every year, their elite core gets older, and they won't be around forever, and someone is going to need to carry the torch.

I don't know, with the current management team in place, I feel uneasy and unsettled speaking about the current Boston Bruins organization considering the complete lack of empathy, awareness, candor throughout this debacle. After everything in this saga, the person who comes out on top is the player in question. A $100,000 signing bonus, likely a legal battle over the status of his contract, and potentially a buyout worth hundreds of thousands in salary all goes to the player in question. Isaiah Meyer-Crothers and his family continues to get the wrong end of the stick in a story that has lasted close to a decade, and the Bruins are directly responsible for potentially the worst gut punch of all.

Buffalo Sabres

Top Prospect: Owen Power
Will's Pick: JJ Peterka
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Noah Östlund

The Sabres are back. Kinda. Everyone was dunking on Kevyn Adams for the Jack Eichel trade, and it seems like things have turned a corner, largely thanks to the return he landed for Eichel. Owen Power is producing well, which was to be expected. I love JJ Peterka's game and am thrilled to see him performing in the NHL so soon. Matthew Savoie may not be scoring the lights out in the WHL, but he's looked more consistently dynamic, aggressive and dangerous than what I saw last year. Noah Östlund has landed himself in a great spot in the HockeyAllsvenskan, learning the men's game and producing decently well, displaying his skill and agility constantly. I was at the rink to actually witness Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich in person, and those two don't look out of place in the AHL under the age of 20.

Beyond that, the team has a great selection of NCAA talent that could round things out in Ryan Johnson (remember him?), Devon Levi and Erik Portillo on the way at some point. If I'm Ryan Johnson, the Sabres are looking a lot more palatable than they have in the past.

Like many teams, there's a lot of meh players in their system. At times I like what Nikita Novikov could be as a big, rangy defensive player, but I'm not sure it's enough. Kyle Kukkonen is off to a solid start this season, but again, not particularly enamoured with his projection. Poltapov, Kisakov and Neuchev all bring different styles of play, and while I only think Poltapov is likely to carve out a consistent NHL role, their abilities complement each other interestingly and if they come over, might provide some nice depth for the group.

I buy what the Sabres are selling. The NHL team is rejuvenated, the vibes are good, and they had an excellent 2022 Draft that could really help shape the team in the future if they're patient and take things at a pace that makes sense. It's a fast turnaround, but credit where credit's due. I'm excited to see where the Sabres go in the 2022-23 season through the draft in Nashville.

Calgary Flames

Top Prospect: Matthew Coronato
Will's Pick: Dustin Wolf
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Jérémy Poirier

​The retooled Calgary Flames have had a rough start to the NHL season, which ain't great, and the prospect pipeline is... Well it's not great but it isn't terrible? Jakob Pelletier might be a bit too high here, but the trio of he, Zary and Coronato are interesting pieces. I still am a believer in the size and skill of William Strömgren, even if the production hasn't been there yet. Dustin Wolf looks like a heck of a goaltending prospect as well. All he's done is prevent goals from going in everywhere he goes, and so far, it's going well once again this year.

Beyond that, I really struggle to see where the Flames are going to have a deep, successful NHL team as their core ages. I like Rory Kerins, Mattias Pettersen, and the physical play of Adam Ruzicka and Martin Pospisil, but are they really talented to the point of reliably playing NHL games? Maybe, but their AHL and ECHL tenures have been mixed. Jérémy Poirier however has had a great offensive start to his pro career, but point production was never really an issue for Poirier. He's a talented skilled defender who can run a power play, but he's always had questions regarding his defensive positioning, work rate, and mobility on defensive transitions that limited his impact any time I watched him. I'm cautiously optimistic, because I love defenders like him in spurts and the NHL is certainly more fun with players like that out there.

Carolina Hurricanes

Top Prospect: Scott Morrow
Will's Pick: Gleb Trikozov
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Alexander Nikishin

The gosh dang Carolina Hurricanes. The gosh dang Carolina Hurricanes. The gosh dang Carolina Hurricanes. They just keep walking into drafts, and leaving with multiple players they have absolutely zero business walking away with. Where do I start? Gleb Trikozov at the end of the 2nd round? Scott Morrow in the middle of the 2nd round? Aleksi Heimosalmi, Ville Koivunen, Domenic Fensore, Vladimir Grudinin, and more all in the 2nd round or later? Alexander Pashin? Patrik Puistola? Noel Gunler? Tukka Tieksola? The list just goes on and on. Who had Massimo Rizzo at a 1.5 point per game pace in the NCAA this year? The Hurricanes haven't drafted high much, but when they did, it was Seth Jarvis. Not bad. There's just so much to like. So much fun, with some jam and intensity, but a whole lot of fun. There's upside, there's risk, and I love that in a prospect system. I wouldn't be surprised if we look at the Hurricanes as one of the better consistent regular season NHL teams over time with their strategy and a clearly excellent coaching staff led by Rod Brind'Amour.

Adding to the top of the pile, Alexander Nikishin seems to be really pushing himself offensively more than he has in years prior. I saw him as a stable, effective and physical defender and figured there's maybe a Nikita Zadorov-type there, but he has really taken a step with 14 even strength points in 29 KHL games, and nearly 25% total offense on one of the best KHL teams out there. Not too shabby. Do I buy this trend long term? Not particularly, but I think there's enough there now to shoot him up the list a bit into the depth category.

The Hurricanes are right up at the top of the leaderboard, and when factoring in their draft slots, they might be one of the most exciting high-ceiling programs in the league. They keep it simple, bet on upside, and maximize volume. My kind of strategy, and I'm hopeful for their future.

Chicago Blackhawks

Top Prospect: Kevin Korchinski
Will's Pick: Kevin Korchinski
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Ryan Greene

The Blackhawks have entered a new era and with it comes a newly expanded group of prospects thanks to a number of deals in the off-season focused on adding picks. What they gave up for those picks may be costly but the players true they’ve added should help rebuild the team for
 the future in a variety of ways. 

With Lukas Reichel, Frank Nazar and Kevin Korchinski, the team has a combination of skill, speed and finish. Reichel seems to be stuck between the pro levels with his AHL dominance and lack of consistent NHL minutes, but I’ve always liked his intelligence and shooting ability and with the right NHL linemates he could be a big offensive role player for Chicago. Kevin Korchinski has been dominant on a dominant Seattle Thunderbirds team this year with his skill, range and playmaking on full display. Frank Nazar is injured, unfortunately for all of us, but he holds the title of my favourite post-draft pick interview, which is a foolproof way the predict a prospects future. In all seriousness, Nazar is fast, slick, tenacious, and creative, and I’m hopeful he returns soon and picks up right where he left off.

I’ve also grown to appreciate Ethan Del Mastro over the years with his combination of size, mobility, bits of skill and physical intensity. Sam Rinzel is off to a slow start in the USHL but his skill and creativity and his side may take time to be refined and maximized in college, so I have no problem giving him a few years to figure things out. I’m a bit skeptical on Wyatt Kaiser but the skating ability could take him a ways, and I have all the time in the world for Paul Ludwinski and his hard-nosed, intense north-south brand of hockey and hope to see him killing penalties and winning fans heard in the future. 

This group of players is vast, and I’d say that more work is to be done. There are decent players, but they’ll need more to really usher in a new era of Blackhawks hockey. They lack a real X-Factor but that player may be on the way in 2023 or 2024. Things are looking better than they were, though and there is a decent foundation to continue building with. 

Colorado Avalanche

Top Prospect: Jean-Luc Foudy
Will's Pick: Jean-Luc Foudy
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Jean-Luc Foudy

In short, I don’t think there’s much here for the Avalanche… But who cares? They just won a Stanley Cup! Oskar Olausson has struggled to translate to North America to this point and Sean Behrens is currently in a sophomore slump, but there is talent there in the both of them. I may not have been as high as others on those two but they still carry solid value and could be solid contributors thus far. As of right now, Jean-Luc Foudy has stolen the show so far for me this season, passing even my own expectations considering what I saw in the AHL prior to this season. Foudy is a great reminder of why we need to be patient with young players and avoid AHL fatigue when they hit that league at such a young age. In normal circumstances Foudy would be in his rookie season at this level but instead he’s in his third, and he seems to be all the better for it. He certainly seems to be performing like the first round talent I thought he was. 

Beyond that trio, I don’t think there’s much there. Kaut is in his last year and remains a middling depth option unfortunately, but I do like where Colby Ambrosio has taken his game at Boston College with his strong shot-first offensive instincts and skill level. Everyone else is a big question mark to me but once again, the cup of what matters and the Avalanche rightfully seems more focused on capitalizing in the NHL for the time being.  

Columbus Blue Jackets

Top Prospect: Kent Johnson
Will's Pick: Kirill Marchenko
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Jordan Dumais

So the Blue Jackets have struggled mightily in the NHL this year, but their focus is still pretty clearly on the future. Cole Sillinger graduates after an early jump to the NHL season last year but the remaining crop as well as the new names drafted in 2023 still leaves Columbus among the stronger looking programs in the league. David Jiricek is flirting with an NHL job already, Kent Johnson is forging his own path harnessing his high skill style, and Denton Mateychuk and Corson Ceulemans bring skilled offensive upside to the group. 

I'm surprised that Kirill Marchenko didn't crack the roster but his AHL time has been fruitful thus far and Luca del bel Belluz has continued to shoot the lights out in the OHL. I like what I've seen of Samuel Knazko and Ole Bjorgvik Holm in the AHL but as much as I support them, I wonder if there is enough there to crack am NHL lineup and being there for extended periods of time. They do have some fascinating flyers to monitor in Kirill Dolzhenkov and Jordan Dumais. They are both flawed when projecting to the NHL but the tools Dolzhenkov brings to the table and the simple smarts Dumais shows make them names that I'll be following and rethinking many times over the next few years. 

While I think the Blue Jackets could have done better adding talent with their opposite plethora of draft picks over the last few years,I have a ton of respect for the confidence and risk behind their strategy. There are a few flyers betting on tools and production, but there are high picks in here that have very strong strengths in one hand and serious projectability concerns in the other. If names like Johnson, Jiricek and Mateychuk work out, look out, but I see risk in their strategy. 

Dallas Stars

Top Prospect: Logan Stankoven
Will's Pick: Logan Stankoven
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Wyatt Johnston

I just love how the Dallas Stars draft generally. I'm really thrilled to see Wyatt Johnston snag a roster spot, even if his results have been mixed so far. Missing his entire draft eligible season and coming this far since has been really wonderful to watch, and I really wrestled with where to slot him in. I still think he doesn't quite have the upside that Mavrik Bouque and Logan Stankoven show, which in my view was on full display in the preseason. They're both dynamic, skilled, have great vision on the ice to make plays as well as finish them, especially in Stankoven's case.

The skill just keeps on coming for Dallas, with Ayrton Martino improving in the NCAA, and Christian Kyrou off to an excellent start in the OHL. Lian Bichsel brings a different flavour to the cupboard even if this year has been a bit underwhelming to this point. On the other hand, Antonio Stranges, Conner Roulette bring more high skill, with nice flashes coming from Thomas Harley, Jack Bar, and at times Artyom Grushnikov, the Stars are quite well positioned for future success without spending a tremendous amount of draft capital.

Between the high skill longshots, the high skill/high pace players at the top end, and the blend of physical defenders and skilled defenders, there's a lot of interesting pieces here and I remain a fan of the Stars' approach to building their future.

Detroit Red Wings

Top Prospect: Simon Edvinsson
Will's Pick: William Wallinder
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Jonatan Berggren

The Detroit Red Wings possess the largest crop of prospects in my tracker with 36, and there are quite a few good ones in there. Elmer Söderblom being in the NHL happened sooner than I expected, but his style of play should grow into a decent role in the NHL, especially right around the net where he's had so much success in Sweden. Simon Edvinsson continues his strong development curve after a great debut with Grand Rapids, and Marco Kasper so far has been paying dividends as a well-rounded, physical and intelligent player in Sweden. Kasper's teammate William Wallinder continues to improve year over year, with nearly 25% involvement in Rögle's offense. Sticking with the Swedish theme, I'm continuously thrilled by Jonatan Berggren's progression and success in the AHL leading to making his NHL debut and first batch of points.

I hadn't seen much of Amadeus Lombardi, and while his point production for a DY+2 in the OHL is somewhat underwhelming, but I've really liked watching him at times this year with great adaptive creativity and strong straight line speed. My YouTube comments were aflutter with Wings fans trying to convince me that Dmitri Buchelnikov is the next coming of Nikita Kucherov, and while he certainly has performed well when I've seen him in the VHL this year, I still struggle to see an NHL player there without significant improvement to his agility, strength and adaptive ability under pressure. He's a long term bet anyway with his KHL contract situation but he's on a good path.

I could go on forever. Cross Hanas' offensive tools have led to very good AHL production so far, Dylan James is off to a strong NCAA freshman season, and like many teams, while I may have gone in a different direction here and there, Detroit has amassed a pile of talented players from all over the world that play a variety of styles, and their future NHL talent looks like it should do just fine to round out the great talent they've already put on the NHL roster.

Edmonton Oilers

Top Prospect: Dylan Holloway
Will's Pick: Dylan Holloway
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Maximus Wanner

Ah the Edmonton Oilers... I'm not sure what to say here other than outside of Dylan Holloway, the Oilers have not necessarily aimed high with many of their recent picks with a large concentration of players that I just don't see an NHL future in. Matvei Petrov is having another productive season, and I do think there's offensive upside as a shoot-first winger, and similar things can be said of Carter Savoie's game to this point. It hasn't taken long for the decision to go with Xavier Bourgault and Luca Munzenberger over a chance at Jesper Wallstedt, and as much as I like Bourgault, Wallstedt is already a third of the way to matching Bourgault's goal totals for this season. But in all seriousness, considering Edmonton's continuous struggles in net, it's hard to ignore that move as somewhat questionable.

I do really enjoy watching Dylan Holloway and think he's pretty firmly the Oilers best prospect, and probably their best selection in the draft in a while. Philip Broberg continues to largely play in the AHL and we're slowly getting close to "clock's ticking" time considering Broberg's struggles at the NHL level to this point. I still think there's enough there with the skill and mobility he's got, and strangely in the NHL, his defensive results were better than expected with significantly worse defensive results than expected, but time will tell of his potential upside as an NHL defender drafted in the top ten. As with the Wallstedt pick, it was a risky call at the time, and four seasons later, his potential career remains uncertain.

Ty Tullio has always been a favourite of mine as well, and a slow start in the AHL doesn't take away from that opinion. He's hard working, skilled and quick in a straight line, and there could still easily be an energy role for him in the future with the Oilers. A pleasant surprise for me while watching the WHL off and on this year has been Maximus Wanner. I hadn't heard this name whatsoever over the last few years, and when I watched the Moose Jaw Warriors, he never really seemed to stand out, but this season he's caught my eye on a few occasions, especially when stepping up and creating space in the offensive zone off the blueline. While Reid Schaefer is scoring a ton, I still am not sure I buy his upside outside of potentially in a bottom six, and again, I see the appeal with his size and skill combination, but there are quite a few names the Oilers passed on at their first round pick in 2022 that I would've much rather seen in Oilers Orange.

The Oilers are a strange franchise. They've got two of the five(ish) best players in the world, a decent supporting group up front, and not much else. They've had decent playoff success, but the holes they've had for years still remain, with their newest expense in net not getting off on the right foot. Their draft strategy is also unlikely to provide a massive boost to the team outside of perhaps Dylan Holloway with some other players perhaps providing a bit of an offensive boost. I'm hopeful that their draft strategy is tweaked a bit, or picks are traded for current talent that could help put Edmonton over the edge, because at the very least, a player like Connor McDavid deserves a couple whacks at a Stanley Cup championship.

Florida Panthers

Top Prospect: Mackie Samoskevich
Will's Pick: Justin Sourdif
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Sandis Vilmanis

 First off, barring any trades, what the Panthers have now, is likely what they'll have in the pipeline at a high level for a while. This team is going for it. They have four picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts combined. I don't see a tremendous amount of promise with what they've got now, especially after trading Emil Heineman to Montreal. I very nearly put Grigori Denisenko all the way to the bottom tier here, but the skill level I've seen over the years just always keeps me hanging onto what he could be. It still doesn't look great for the former top-15 pick and it's entirely likely we see him go back to the KHL once his entry level deal expires this summer.

It's not all bad though, Justin Sourdif and Mackie Samoskevich are really intriguing prospects that I think could help give the Panthers a boost soon. Sourdif brings a great well-rounded set of traits both on and off the puck with a great motor at both ends, great one on one skill with the puck, and brings a style of play that just feels motivating to share the ice with. Samoskevich has gotten off to a ripping hot start with the University of Michigan, and has looked speedy, dynamic, and aggressive, bringing more off-puck energy than what I remember from his draft eligible season. He's a ton of fun to watch and I'm constantly hopeful for his NHL career.

There are also players in the system who I just wish things were going better for. I had Serron Noel ranked pretty highly in 2018, with his size, skill, and strength combination really intriguing me, but injuries have seriously sidelined pivotal times in his development. John Ludvig has also stagnated significantly due to injury after a very promising junior career. That being said, I do like the Gerasimyuk/Vilmanis additions recently and there could be some value in names like Nause, Devine, and Jansson, but the Panthers, like the Oilers, are interested in winning in the NHL. Help to do so is just more likely to come via trades and signings for now.

Los Angeles Kings

Top Prospect: Quinton Byfield
Will's Pick: Quinton Byfield
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Kenny Connors

The Kings have been a fascinating team to watch draft and develop players over the years. Their strategy seems to really focus on drafting all kinds of different players in a somewhat balanced number across those types. They've got huge, hulking players that lack projectable offense like Samuel Helenius, Helge Grans, and Kirill Kirsanov, but they've also got undersized skill in Kasper Simontaival, Kim Nousianen, Jordan Spence, and Alex Turcotte. They've got snipers in Martin Chromiak and Samuel Fagemo, with Brandt Clarke making his way up the system after a strong final OHL season.

Quinton Byfield remains their top prospect in my opinion. Both he and Alex Turcotte have struggled to remain healthy, but watching some Byfield tape from this year still gives me hope, and the feeling that he's just a small amount away from being a highly useful north-south offensive NHL centre. Patience will be rewarded with both of these players in my opinion.

I do like the cupboard that the Kings have stocked in general. I haven't been as thrilled with their draft classes in the last couple seasons as years prior, but there are some interesting names in the system that could help the Kings become a contender in the near future. I was a bit lower on Clarke than many, but I still really appreciate the offensive game he brings and will be curious to see where he lands in the NHL one day. If Byfield and Turcotte can just stay healthy for an extended period, there could be huge adds there one day. There may need to be a few more pieces added to really put the Kings over the top as players like Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault get older, but there's a decent group in place that should help the Kings stay in playoff contention for the time being.

Minnesota Wild

Top Prospect: Jesper Wallstedt
Will's Pick: Marco Rossi
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Adam Beckman

All Praise King Judd Brackett. The arrival of Judd Brackett has turned the Minnesota Wild into one of the better systems in the entire league in my view. Jesper Wallstedt turned 20 just a few days ago at time of writing and already has his first AHL goal, made all the more impressive by the fact that he's a goaltender. All signs point to the Wild landing their future #1 goaltender with a pick in the 20s of the NHL Draft. Not bad.

Marco Rossi is in the NHL, and doing tons of things right, but the puck just hasn't gone in. Frankly considering he nearly passed away during the COVID pandemic from COVID-related heart issues, the fact that he came back with last year's performance in the AHL and cracked an NHL lineup without looking out of place is remarkable. I'd love to see him take the next step and become the player he showed with the Ottawa 67s. Marat Khusnutdinov took more ice time at the start of this season and looked excellent, but has taken more of a backseat down SKA St. Petersburg's lineup with far less power play time, but he's still the same Marat Khusnutdinov that I loved back in 2019-20. Adding Liam Öhgren and Danila Yurov in the first round of 2022 were excellent additions that could help round out the Wild lineup in relatively short order with their well-rounded, resilient skilled games. Calen Addison is looking like a solid NHL defender with powerplay upside, and physical, dependable defenders are on the way in Carson Lambos, Daemon Hunt, Ryan O'Rourke Marshall Warren and Brock Faber. Even if they all don't quite work in the NHL, they could help fill out the team in important roles defensive roles.

The Wild have done very well adding talent over the years. They may lack a little bit of raw firepower, but they have pretty much everything else in spades. Hard working, 200-foot effort players at multiple positions that show determination, resilience, skill and transition skill, which to me is far more important at this age than pure finish. We'll see how it works for them, but the Wild remain one of my favourite teams to watch draft and develop over the years.

Montreal Canadiens

Top Prospect: Juraj Slafkovsky
Will's Pick: Lane Hutson
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Owen Beck

It's a new era in Habsland, and what an era it's been so far. I love the energy that stems from hiring an NHL legend with no serious coaching experience to coach one of the biggest markets in the NHL, and how his philosophy revolves around allowing mistakes and nurturing young talent. I may not have selected everyone the Habs targeted in 2022 at their respective slots, but the draft class as a whole looks extremely constructive. Juraj Slafkovsky is a resilient, strong puck possession winger that is going through some expected growing pains in the NHL, Filip Mesar is a high-flying skilled forward doing well after moving to the Kitchener Rangers, and Owen Beck has been my surprise of the year with the excellent Mississauga Steelheads. While I still question his true NHL upside, he was clearly one of the smarter players in last year's draft insofar as knowing where to be, when to make plays, what play to make, and how to simply get the job done in many situations. He's taken a step with his pace and creativity this year and looks to be a very interesting pickup. There isn't much else I can say about Lane Hutson, but he rocks too.

Their 2022 crop adds to a very strong supporting cast that is beginning to make waves in the NHL. Yes, Arber Xhekaj is already in the NHL with Jordan Harris, but I still am not convinced that they are particularly valuable NHL-level defenders over the long term, and I locked in these tiers before the season, so out of principle, I'm sitting in it regardless of what happens. That being said, Xhekaj has quickly endeared himself to fans and in one of the scarier young players in the NHL right now, it's just a matter of driving results in the NHL at a level that makes him playable. I was a little lower on Kaiden Guhle in his draft year, and while I still would've looked in another direction with that 16th draft pick, Guhle has led me to tweak how I weigh players like him. For strong offensive players with weak defensive traits, I'm more forgiving, but I didn't give the same benefit of the doubt to defenders like Guhle who showed excellent defensive results with truly atrocious offensive transition results with limited projectable offense. Guhle's job isn't to be dominant in every facet, but his play in the NHL reminds me that great defensive players with a great shot from the point play can play an important role, and it's something for me to carry forward for future drafts. He's been quite lovely to watch when I've caught the Habs this year.

There are just so many names to talk about with this group. Emil Heineman, Jayden Struble, and Sean Farrell have all not even touched the AHL yet and could bring NHL-level tools. I'm thrilled to see Xavier Simoneau show so well in the AHL to this point. Adam Engstrom earned a job in the SHL almost immediately, and while I think his offensive potential doesn't line up to his J20 data, he's still a dependable skilled defender to keep an eye on. I could go on and on. It's a bright group in the league, and when crunching the numbers, they're among the top in average NHLeS and number of prospects tracked, likely making them the best system for the future in the league right now.

Nashville Predators

Top Prospect: Yaroslav Askarov
Will's Pick: Philip Tomasino
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Ryan Ufko

I have such a hard time with the Nashville Predators. For years I've thought they were overdue for a rebuild, but here they are. For years they drafted skilled, mobile defenders and recently have started aiming at hard-nosed players who push the envelope physically, but also Philip Tomasino and Joakim Kemell. There's a lot going on here, and I'm not particularly sure what they're going to get out of it. Yaroslav Askarov is on a tepid pace to start his AHL career, but goalies take time. Zach L'Heureux, Fyodor Svechkov, and Joakim Kemell are solid first round adds, even if Svechkov isn't producing particularly well with Spartak Moscow so far this season. I still believe Kemell was somewhat overrated, including by myself, leading into the 2022 NHL Draft, but his offensive goal scoring upside is certainly still there and could give a boost to the Predators in the future.

Down the pyramid, there's a whole lot of "who knows". Luke Evangelista and Ryan Ufko have really bucked my expectations to this point however, especially Evangelista. Kasper Kulonummi has been one of the most productive defenders in the Finnish junior league, but I want to see him tested at higher levels before getting too excited. Spencer Stastney has been a favourite of mine in the NCAA for a few years as well and I'll have an eye on him at times in the AHL.

The Predators are weird. There's a lot of different things going on at both the NHL and non-NHL levels, but I'm not sure how much actual output they'll get out of their system in the next little while. At some point, the NHL team will enter a building phase, but for now, they'll continue being a team that pushes for the playoffs and being a bit of an underdog should they make it. Honestly that situation feels eerily similar to their prospect pyramid.

New Jersey Devils

Top Prospect: Luke Hughes
Will's Pick: Seamus Casey
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Artem Shlaine

The Devils have drafted often over the last few years, and their NHL team is finally rounding the corner we all thought they could round for quite a while now. There's so much to like both in the NHL and outside of it, and we're all better off when the Devils are good considering their history in this league. Their future looks bright as well. Whil I was very close to downgrading Alexander Holtz, I still have faith that he'll get to be that high end NHL scorer he could be with his north-south speed and remarkable finishing ability. Luke Hughes could be lining himself up for a Hobey Baker trophy, but teammate and a Top-15 ranked defender on my 2022 list Seamus Casey is right there keeping up with him extremely well. The creativity and skill level are on full display, and should his skating come a ways in the next year or two, he could be one of the better prospects to come out of the 2nd round of the NHL Draft last year. I think it's already not entirely unreasonable that a large number of less promising players went before Casey, so big thumbs up to the Devils there.

Beyond that, there are interesting potential depth options that I've liked at times in Kevin Bahl, Arseni Gritsyuk, and potentially Shakhir Mukhamadullin. Daniil Orlov has also been an interesting pickup after watching him post-draft with size, mobility and skill that I wasn't expecting, and the shift to Spartak Moscow has been fruitful thus far.

The Devils are well positioned for the future in my opinion. I may have tweaked things a little bit here and there, but through all the picks they've made, there are quite a few solid picks here that could bear fruit in the future in a variety of NHL roles. With the group of young players in the NHL already driving the bus, I feel quite strongly that this Devils team will continue to improve as their strong prospect pipeline brings even more talent to the table, both at the top end of the lineup, and around the edges in depth roles.

New York Islanders

Top Prospect: Aatu Räty
Will's Pick: Matthew Maggio
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Samuel Bolduc

The Islanders have quietly but steadily made their prospect pipeline better and better without having a tremendous amount of draft capital to spend. Of course, Aatu Räty is the leading the way in terms of potential value with his shoot-first offensive game in his rookie AHL season, but Samuel Bolduc and Ruslan Iskhakov have also had excellent results with Bridgeport in their last year of prospect eligibility in my books. I personally have a lot of time for Iskhakov's skill level, even if I wonder about NHL upside and Bolduc has always given me the impression of a solid defensive player with limited offensive tools, but the production is undeniable.

Matt Maggio was a player I hadn't seen much of last year but after being drafted, I really liked what I saw out of him. He's one of the Islanders' best performers according to my NHLeS and I've really liked his high pace, high intensity skill-first game and will have my eye on him as he develops. 2022 also saw the Islanders add another potentially high upside pick far later than he should've gone in Calle Odelius. The flashes of skill, confidence, evasion and deception are all high level traits and if his footwork can be applied better defensively with more strength on his body, he could be a good add to a strong Islanders defense group in the future. The interesting names keep coming for the Islanders with physical, dependable players that could round out their roster in William Dufour, Isaiah George and Matias Rajaniemi. I really enjoy their simple, but effective approach to the game, especially Dufour.

While the Islanders may have had some strange picks in some areas over the last few years, they've done well with limited draft picks and potentially found some very impressive players far later than you'd expect them to be drafted. Time will tell if it works out in their favour, but it gives them a good chance of continuing to field a solid NHL team with some nice pieces found outside the first round of the draft.

New York Rangers

Top Prospect: Brennan Othmann
Will's Pick: Zac Jones
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Noah Laba

The New York Rangers have turned a corner into a new era and with it has been a bit of a confusing team when it comes to tracking their drafting and development over the last few years. Yes, Brennan Othmann has had an excellent OHL career, and I do think there's a solid NHL player there, and yes, Braden Schneider has graduated to the NHL showing very good defensive results to this point, but there are a lot of picks that are all over the place in terms of potential upside. There's a well rounded group of varying player types from undersized skill players like Brett Berard and Zac Jones, to hard physical skill in Adam Sykora and Kalle Vaisanen, to pure physical presences in Will Cuylle.

One name I certainly didn't expect to see get off to such a strong start to his college career is Noah Laba. I looked at his penalty minute-heavy stat line last year but was impressed with the pace and skill in his game last year. He seems to have hit the ground running as a freshman with Colorado College. He's someone I'll have an eye on through his NCAA career.

My personal pick has to be Zac Jones. He's so crafty and creative, but just hasn't been given a chance with the Rangers that I believe really suits his style of play. It may be a system mismatch and if Jones is parlayed for help through a trade, I wouldn't be surprised, and I think there's still a ton of upside there. I still remain a huge fan of him and am hopeful for his NHL future.

The Rangers are, in my view, a perfectly adequate drafting team. Some mid-late picks could play NHL games like Adam Edstrom or Will Cuylle, and some skilled players that could outperform their draft slot in Berard and Sykora. They may not have a ton of high end offensive pieces outside of perhaps Brennan Othmann, but right now, the Rangers are more concerned with winning in the NHL, so high upside, high draft picks can't be expected too much.

Ottawa Senators

Top Prospect: Jake Sanderson
Will's Pick: Jake Sanderson
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Shane Pinto

So the NHL season hasn't gone well for the Ottawa Senators thus far. On the bright side, Jake Sanderson has hit the ground running at the offensive end as an catalyst for the struggling team, and Shane Pinto has solidified his position in Ottawa's middle six. I do think that draft capital has been used somewhat haphazardly over the years, aiming in strange places looking for value at high picks with highly talented players on the board, but through it all, I think there's a nice mix of physical tools and skill that should help the Senators take the next step, even if that step isn't taken this year.

Zack Ostapchuk has certainly taken a step this year, capitalizing on his size and speed to produce more offense than he has. On a similar note, the more I watch Tyler Boucher, the more I like with how quick his hands are, how physical he can be, and how excellent his release is, but for every good play with the puck resulting in an individual chance, I see plays that lead to puck distribution struggles and chasing physical play to his own detriment in transition play. There are also some interesting cases I'll have my eye one this year in big, skilled forward Stephen Halliday and pure offensive goal scorer Oskar Pettersson, and a rangy, skilled physical defender in Filip Nordberg all performing well to this point this year. Ridly Grieg probably remains as the brightest non-NHL piece for Ottawa, and I've grown to respect his game over the years. While the upside still is a bit of a question to me, Grieg brings a physical edge and an intensity that you have to be aware of and adapt to any time he's an opponent. His ability to drive play in the NHL remains to be seen, but he's off to a good start in the AHL and I'll be sure to have a look at his game once the NHL comes calling.

The Senators are a touchy subject. Their fans are in a sad place after so much hype, but the season is still quite young, as are the Senators. Their fans have put a lot of faith in the scouting staff as they make... strange decisions, but decisions rooted in logic. They want to be annoying, physical, and make you aware you're playing the Ottawa Senators, but my critique for years has been a lack of high end NHL firepower. With Tim Stützle, there's a bit of that there, and Alex DeBrincat helps, but if he's not sticking around for whatever reason, will there be enough to make up the difference? How will Claude Giroux perform as he gets older in his career? They've had tremendous amounts of draft capital over the last few years and it will be fascinating to see how their strategy plays out from here.

Philadelphia Flyers

Top Prospect: Cutter Gauthier
Will's Pick: Bobby Brink
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Alexis Gendron

The Philadelphia Flyers are currently coming back to Earth in the NHL, and when I look at their prospect pipeline, there's a lot of interesting pieces, but I'm not sure the worst is over for them before reaching playoff team status. Bobby Brink is a bright spot but missing a large portion of the 2022-23 season takes a bite out of his potential to help usher the Flyers into a new generation. Previous high picks in Tyson Foerster, Cam York, and Samu Tuomaala are having their own respective issues as well, and while there's still runway to work with, I certainly hoped for more growth and development out of these high flying offense-first players.

On the bright side, I've liked watching Emil Andrae in the SHL this year, even if I still question his NHL upside. I do think he could be a physical asset down the lineup potentially, but the hype from a highly successful HockeyAllsvenskan season last year always seemed a bit strange to me. Elliot Desnoyers seems to be another example of tempering expectations, even for myself, as he hasn't quite translated the extreme levels of production he showed in the QMJHL last year and brought it to the pro ranks, but it's still very early in his career.

Yes, the Flyers drafted Cutter Gauthier at 5th overall, and yes, he's hovering around a point per game as a freshman, which is great, but I still remain steadfast that there were a number of players available at that pick that show more now with more potential outside of a skilled goal scorer, but he's a promising player that should be a good offensive contributor. He's in this tier largely because I feel as though he'll sit on a second line role with power play upside, which to me isn't quite up to the core level, but he could easily work his way there next year at this rate considering who else is there with him.

I'd be remiss if I also didn't note Alexis Gendron's scoring tear to start the year in the QMJHL. I'm admittedly biased against that league when projecting NHL talent, but I can't help but really love the high intensity scoring game he brings. I've also really liked watching Ethan Samson after not really being a fan in his draft year. His evasion and skill seems to have taken a step as has his confidence to step into space and create for his linemates. Is there an NHL defender there? I'm not sure, but he and Gendron have been pleasant surprises.

There are some intriguing players in the pipeline here for the Flyers, and I imagine that more is on the way in the coming years as the Flyers continue doing whatever it is that they're doing. Gaining high draft picks is one thing, but using them properly is another, and actually developing them into NHL players that can hang with the best every night is a whole other task that the Flyers have seemed to have struggled with for a while now.

Pittsbugh Penguins

Top Prospect: Owen Pickering
Will's Pick: Sergei Murashov
Surprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Sergei Murashov

In my giant prospect tracker, Pittsburgh has one of the leanest pyramids in the league, and are sitting dead last in average NHLeScore. It's essentially the Owen Pickering show and everyone else is along for the ride to see how things go. Sergei Murashov has been outsanding in the MHL, but that's also not the highest level of play in the world by any stretch. Filip Hällander has now made the club since making these new pyramids, so that settles that. I still remain a fan of Lukas Svejkovsky as he gets his AHL career off the ground, and at least the Penguins have drafted a few interesting goaltenders that should help at a key position in Joel Blomqvist and the aforementioned Murashov.

The shining light on the hill is Owen Pickering, of course. He's gained an extra step of confidence and willingness to use his skill to create offense, and the Broncos themselves have improved as their young group improves. Pickering has huge upside, and I really hope he hits that upside, because at his size, he's got a heck of a lot of skill that you don't see too often.

The Penguins are still a team that can find themselves making perplexing decisions on draft day, landing names like Nathan Legare, Tristan Broz, and Sam Poulin, relatively high in the draft, and all are having their fair share of issues translating to higher levels. The Penguins are more interested in winning in the NHL right now anyways, so all of this doesn't really matter, but at some point, the Penguins will not have a whole lot to work with based on the drafting they've done. The goaltenders and Owen Pickering sure help though!

San Jose Sharks

Top Prospect: William Eklund
Will's Pick: Mattias Hävelid
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Cameron Lund

It's a new era with Mike Grier in charge in San Jose. Doug Wilson Jr. is gone as the chief talent evaluator and David Quinn is in as the new bench boss. In typical Quinn fashion the young, promising talent almost universally has started their seasons in the AHL in Daniil Gushchin, Thomas Bordeleau, William Eklund, Ryan Merkley, and others. Do these players belong in the AHL right now? I'd say some more than others, but I thought they at least deserved a look, and I worry that these players will be held to an artificially high standard due to their lack of size or defensive acumen. We'll see how it goes, but I can't help but see a philosophical mismatch in the system here.

Filip Bystedt surprised many a Sharks fan this year when his name was called, but he has gotten off to a really solid start in the SHL this year, utilizing his combination of size and skill to his advantage well. He's got a lot of upside, and I'm hopeful that he hits that potential. Cameron Lund is also off to a great start that I didn't expect. In fact, both he and Ryan Greene from the Green Bay Gamblers highly intrigued me in spurts, but couldn't put together consistent results in enough areas that really put them highly on my radar, but they've both gotten off to great freshman seasons this year. Ethan Cardwell may technically be an overager in the OHL, but he's one of the younger ones, and he's simply dominating that league, with involvement on nearly half of his team's offense, and nearing two points per game.

The key for the Sharks right now lies with the players currently with the Barracuda. Brandon Coe, Ozzy Wiesblatt, Artemi Kniazev and more are young, fun, skilled, and have high upside and need to be brought along at the right pace with the right playing environment to get them into an NHL lineup. The talent is definitely there, and I'll be fascinated to see how they mature into NHL players. While I'm concerned about the philosophical shifts in the NHL club, I still think talent will eventually win out, and the NHL team will hopefully start a new era driven by the work Doug Wilson Jr. has done for them over the years.

Seattle Kraken

Top Prospect: Matty Beniers
Will's Pick: Matty Beniers
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Tucker Robertson

I wasn't extremely over the moon with Seattle's first draft class or NHL season last year but this year is a totally new story. The NHL team added skill and is winning significantly more than they were, and their 2022 draft class will do far more legwork for them in my opinion. Having Matthew Beniers and Shane Wright without having a first overall pick is not a bad start. Beniers brought his feisty, tenacious 200 foot game to Seattle and while Shane Wright is struggling for NHL ice time, these struggles were anticipated on my end, and some AHL time and a World Junior tournament should give him a chance to recapture the intelligent offense we saw last year. 

The rest of the pipeline is full of personal favorites and the focus on upside should pay dividends. Ty Nelson, Jagger Firkus, Jani Nyman, and David Goyette were all great picks in their respective slots, and have all been having very solid D+1 seasons. I especially see potential in Nyman, with his size, resilience under pressure and flashes of skill that really caught my attention at last year's Hlinka tournament and struggled to see at the pro level. 

I've been impressed with Tucker Robertson with Peterborough when I've seen him there. Undersized but skilled and evasive, I'm not sure there's an NHL player there but he's caught my eye as a 19 year old in the OHL. I felt somewhat similar with Ryker Evans when I briefly checked him out in the AHL. A smart puck mover with good skill and deceptive skill, time will tell if it's enough to validate how highly the Kraken valued him in the 2021 Draft. 

The Kraken are tied for fewest prospects on their tracking sheet, but they sit #1 in average NHLeS buoyed by strong CHL players who are still young, but I do buy they they're quickly becoming one of the most promising prospect groups in the NHL. 

St. Louis Blues

Top Prospect: Jake Neighbours
Will's Pick: Simon Robertsson
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Jimmy Snuggerud

The Blues are another point of those teams where I'm just a bit... Inspired by their prospects. There are high intensity physical players with some skill in there like Zac Bolduc, Jake Neighbours, and Jimmy Snuggerud. I was very impressed with Snuggerud at the end of last year and his goal scoring potential is already on display in college with the University of Minnesota. I've also liked Michael Buchinger's sneaky skill game from the defense position, even if I think he's still got a ways to go. 

I still have faith in Simon Robertsson. He's not getting much power play time on a professional team with a number of snipers, but he hasn't looked out of place at all when playing limited minutes. He's a good long term bet in my opinion and hopefully gives an offensive jolt to the Blues in the future.

Beyond the names mentioned, there isn't a tremendous amount here in my view. Tyson Galloway has always interested me for his size, reach, skill, fluidity on his feet, but the rest is a mixed bag for me. The Blues haven't had a ton of draft capital so this all makes some sense, and I think the youth already on the NHL team will help keep them out of the basement, so we shall see if this group can be of any help with the big club. 

Tampa Bay Lightning

Top Prospect: Isaac Howard
Will's Pick: Dylan Duke
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Dyllan Gill

Like quite a few other teams already covered, Tampa Bay is absolutely more focused on winning in the NHL right now than building a strong developmental pipeline for the future, and for good reason. Multiple deep Stanley Cup runs will have they effect, but through it all, there are still some bright spots. I always have had a ton of time for Dylan Duke and his sophomore season with the University of Michigan has been fruitful, hovering around the point per game mark. His tenacity and intensity both with and without the puck is admirable and I still remain stunned that he was available when the Lightning picked him in 2021. Isaac Howard hard had a slower start to his NCAA time, but the skill, creativity and work rate he puts on with the puck on his stick should take him far. Right now, three name of the game with him will be patience. 

I've also enjoyed watching Niko Huuhtanen over the last two seasons as a big, resilient, shoot first, ask questions later player in the WHL and more recently back home in the Liiga with Jukurit. Nick Malik continues to stop picks at high levels of play, and I think there's a world where Tampa's big, heavy, and defense-first names play roles down the lineup at some point in Maxim Groshev, Roman Schmidt, and Jack Finley.

While I have gravitated towards Eamon Powell in the past, I'm still waiting for him too use his skating ability to his advantage on the offensive side of the puck as well as the defensive side. I've liked the brief glimpses I've caught of Dylann Gill in the QMJHL with his skill and willingness to jump into offensive play as well as his ability to run his team's power play, but I'm not sure how much NHL upside I seee there. 

The rest of the pool is, well, thin. I see a lot of big longshore with limited upside that I've seen, but I'm not counting out the Lightning at all. They often get the best out of their guys and there are some players there they could make it work at the next level playing a physical role with a bit of pace and finish. There are a couple notable prospects at the top, but the Lightning are going to need more in order to stay competitive over long periods. 

Toronto Maple Leafs

Top Prospect: Nick Robertson
Will's Pick: Ty Voit
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Semyon Der-Arguchintsev

Kyle Dubas surprised me again by taking a swing on the cerebral, tactical Fraser Minten out of Kamloops. He's off to a very good start but while he's improved year over year, I question his future value as a top 40 pick considering who was on the board. The pace of his game is relatively low, and while his finishing had gotten better both through his shooting and passing, I wonder about his transition success potential with limited evasion and less time to think at the next level. 

Nick Robertson should probably be in the NHL full time but at time of writing he's been scratched for multiple games in a row. He may not be a high end top six forward on this team, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with him driving play at both ends with his pace and ferocity, and unleashing his offensive tools on the power play... Or you could just not play him and keep him in the press box, you do you. On the opposite note, it's nice to see Filip Kràl get some NHL time. It was completely not in my list off expectations, even if he's a member of Team Scouching. I still am not sold on him bring a key piece like I could see coming with Robertson.

My thoughts also go out to Rodion Amirov. Things have gone about the opposite as I hoped and it really gets me down. That guy is a gamer. He was ruthless on the puck and I'm hoping every day that things turn around for him for the better and see him around the Leafs in some way for a while. 

The Leafs still have a very good looking system considering the success they've had in the regular season and the number of picks they've traded away. Topi Niemala, Nick Abbruzzese and Matt Knies look like promising middle of the road players one day, and there are tons of high upside swings in the Maybes tier they are still quite young. There could be hope in players like Ryan Tverberg, Nikita Grebyonkin, and my personal surprise pick Semyon Der-Arguchintsev to fill out the bottom end of the team at some point. There could be enough here to build a bit of a supporting cast for their prime age core to keep the team competitive. In some players cases, they may need to take a step in key areas too become good energy fortress forwards at the NHL level, but they have some good bets too open on send hope for. 

Vancouver Canucks

Top Prospect: Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Will's Pick: Joni Jurmo
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Nils Åman

The Vancouver Canucks are in a new era and so far, it has been a very bad time. The fans are quickly jumping onto the Connor Bedard Tankwagon for obvious reasons. What sits in their pipeline is what I'd call a work in progress. There have been lots of traded and whiffed picks over the years, but there remains some solid names there, led by 2022 first rounder Jonathan Lekkerrimäki. While I'm a bit lower on his potential NHL impact due to his perimeter shoot-first game, he's a gifted scorer, especially on the power play. Great shot, very good pre-shot skill, and with improvements to his agility and evasive skill, the could be a dynamic offensive winger for the Canucks. 

Jack Rathbone is working his way into the NHL and I've liked the mobile and skilled defender working off the offensive Blueline and trying to make plays for the big club. His ability to monitor defensive rushes and clear the net is still a work in progress but he's been a nice find for the Canucks. I also still really like defender Joni Jurmo who is floating around in Finland still but he's a large defender with a gifted pair of feet under him. I'd love to see him come over soon and take a shot at professional hockey in North America. 

Beyond that, things are tough. Danila Klimovich is fine enough and could fill a scorer's role similar but not equal trip Lekkerrimäki, but I think he's got a way too go before that. I wasn't over the moon with their 2022 draft class, and I think the fans are right that a true draft pick- heavy rebuild is in order. The team is not good, the pipeline isn't well stocked, and what they've got doesn't leave a ton of confidence that they'll be storming the NHL with these guys anytime soon as much as it pains me to say so.

Vegas Golden Knights

Top Prospect: Zach Dean
Will's Pick: Jordan Gustafsson
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Lukas Cormier

The Vegas Golden Knights just love to trade everything they draft, and that's ok! The team is rolling through the NHL right now, so making trades top mortgage the future and try to win now is forgivable, and I don't think they're done. They do still have some intriguing players out that could fill the lineup, if not in high end roles. I love Zach Dean's skill and will be curious if it translates with his relative lack of strength, but I'm hopeful. I was lower on Brendan Brisson than many, but the offensive tools are there leading with his shooting ability.  Matyas Sapovaliv brings resilient power and playmaking, Jordan Gustafson brings excellent smarts and puck management, and Daniil Chayka  brings a confusing skill set that could lend itself to more offence than what we’ve seen to this point. He’s big, rangy, skilled but rarely participates in offensive play and hasn't been able to capture the production they made him stop alluring a few years back.

Vegas is very good at finding talent in strange places as well, namely Jackson Hallum who I've constantly liked every thin I see him with great agility and skill, and a lively motor that I think could take him far. Similar things can be said for Ivan Morozov as he continues to play exclusively in Russia with the curious HC Sochi program that isn't afraid to ride young skilled players as key pieces. 

Like many teams, there's some good and a lot of question marks here for Vegas. Again, picks are sparse and they'll trade prospects to get better now. If I were in their position, I'd probably do the same. Through it all they find a way to get solid talent in middle round draft slots, and curious talents from lesser scouted regions. I get the feeling that Vegas knows what they're doing draftwise more often than not and I hope that at some point, the youth they add in the next few years can usher in a new era while including some of the names above. 

Washington Capitals

Top Prospect: Hendrix Lapierre
Will's Pick: Alexander Suzdalev
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Ivan Miroshnichenko

With the Washington Capitals, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how pleased I am to see Ivan Miroshnichenko back playing hockey, and playing well. Scoring a goal per game at the MHL may be at a lower level of competition, but considering he missed the vast majority of last season dealing with a cancer diagnosis, his return this quickly is extremely promising. He's a wicked shooter with great resilience on his frame to resist pressure, and he is looking like a solid gamble that they made in the 2022 NHL Draft. 

There's a really interesting support cast in Washington as well, including an improved Brent Johnson, the dependable Ryan Chesley, and a developing Alexander Alexeyev and Maxim Lapierre in the AHL. I'm really pleased to see Brent Johnson earn more minutes with better results than last year, and always felt that he had much more to give than what I saw last year. Alexander Suzdalev has also played well in Regina putting up over a point per game with his high end skill and dual-threat offense. 

The Capitals haven't drafted a tremendous amount over the last little while, but they've often made solid picks along the way. I may not agree with all of them, but many end up plugged into the NHL like Martin Fehervary and Aleksi Protas have been, and if they can hang, then their later picks are a win. I'm hopeful that Ludvig Persson can take the steps he needs to take to be a true 200-foot forward against men with the puck on his stick, and while there isn't a tremendous amount of really high upside talent outside of Lapierre and Miroshnichenko, the Capitals can hopefully start building their next generation in the coming seasons as their current core continues to age.

Winnipeg Jets

Top Prospect: Cole Perfetti
Will's Pick: Brad Lambert
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Brad Lambert

Let's just get this out of the way, it is still very entertaining to me that Brad Lambert ended up going 30th overall in 2022. That dude is already in the NHL and won the hearts and minds of Jets fans in the preseason. He's wonderfully talented and if he learns how to settle into a pro hockey environment, making quicker, simpler plays while retaining the high end skill and pace he brings, he has massive upside. Cole Perfetti is also a full-timer and looking not at all out of place in the NHL on pace for a strong rookie season hovering around half a point per game. He's cerebral, brings playmaking and shooting skill and I think things will only get better from here for him.

Would I have swung on Rutger McGroarty in 2022 where Winnipeg took him? Not really, and I've found his time in Michigan to be more of the same that I've seen of him. Slow, clunky, but boy can that guy shoot and finish. There's lots to like as an auxillary offensive piece, and if he's tried out as a finisher for Brad Lambert at some point, I wouldn't be surprised. Similar things could potentially be said about Chaz Lucius.

David Gustafsson is already in the NHL, so that settles the "maybe" section of this, but I'm not totally sure he sticks in the NHL long term based on what I've seen. It may be that he lands back in Sweden eventually, as much as I like to see him play in the NHL. 

I've said it a number of times, but the Jets sneak in the shadows as one of the most efficient drafting teams out there. Nikita Chibrikov, Dmitri Rashevsky, Daniel Torgersson, Dmitri Kuzmin, Elias Salomonsson, and Danny Zhilkin are all mid-round picks that I thought were decent value swings to sit on, and they've all been coming along well. Chibrikov may be the only exception, but his issues have never been about talent, but rather processing the game, bringing the same level of intensity at both ends in every game, and taking the next step in developing that talent to the next level that he needs to reach. Elias Salomonsson has been flexing his offensive muscles more than what I remember last year, while balancing it with the defensive improvements I saw last year. They're a smart drafting team, and with the Rick Bowness era underway, I think signs are bright that over time the Jets will replenish their cupboard well.

Team Scouching

Top Prospect: Nick Robertson
Will's Pick: Lukas Gustafsson
Suprise of 2022-23 (So Far): Jean-Luc Foudy

And so we're here with Team Scouching. If you're unfamiliar, these are the players I would've selected in the NHL Draft with Toronto's draft picks since the 2015 draft. It keeps me honest, and helps refine my eye and strategy for who should be more of a focus relative to others, especially later in the draft. So far, I'd say the results are mixed to positive. I've found that teams have gotten better at setting anecdotes aside and drafting for upside and value, which leaves players like Kirill Kaprizov far less likely to be available in the middle rounds of the draft, but there remain biases and blind spots that allow some talented players to go undrafted or drafted significantly later than they should go in my opinion.

As I said in the Colorado writeup, I'm thrilled to see Jean-Luc Foudy's success in the AHL to this point after a couple seasons of sorting things out and getting settled. Nick Robertson should probably be in the Leafs lineup right now over some of the other players, even if his NHL role will be somewhere in a middle six providing excellent 200-foot energy and thrilling offense on the power play. Lane Hutson at 38 last summer felt like the right pick, even if I had Gleb Trikozov in my crosshairs, and while I gambled on potentially landing them both, Hutson has been an excellent addition to Boston University's program.

On the sad side of things, I'm continuously beside myself at how Rodion Amirov's career has gone. He was electric as a draft eligible player, and it didn't take long after to see that something might be a bit wrong with him. He looked slow, trailing play, lacking the evasive skill I saw as a junior in the KHL. I hope all is well with him, and I hope that one day he can still manage to have a happy and fulfilling life, be it in hockey or not. He could easily be giving the Leafs a wonderful complementary offensive boost this season, but the laws of the universe had other plans. All the best to him.

In any case, Team Scouching has ended up with 14 players playing NHL minutes, and when looking at Evolving-Hockey's GAR, their total offensive GAR is the highest of any team's draft picks in the league, and while defensively the team sits in the top-10, I'm pretty happy with the results. Still-undrafted Lukas Gustafsson is off to a great freshman season with Boston College, Alexis Gendron currently sits 2nd in QMJHL goal scoring, Jean-Luc Foudy is having a wonderful AHL season, and as much as Vladimir Grudinin hasn't produced, I've seen him play a few times this year and continually remain convinced with his potential. Heck, Anton Johannesson is slowly rebooting himself in lower levels of Swedish hockey and probably wouldn't look at all out of place in at least the SHL at some point after his huge success in HockeyEttan this year.

All in all, there are little things I'd felt I've needed to tweak over the years. Areas of the game I may over or undervalue for different player types or the leagues in which they play. I'm pretty happy with the group as-is. Some picks could be misses, sure, but that's part of the point of the exercise. It's easy to look at a whole class and say "I really like this group of players", but you aren't picking a group of players. You're picking one at a time, then everyone else gets a chance, so you better make sure you know how to dig through those names to pick the right one. Once again, Toronto lacks a number of picks in this year's draft, so I may not have much to do in 2023, but you never know with Kyle Dubas. The guy knows how to move down in a draft and land some decent value for his limited pick capital. In any case, I'm excited about the potential adds I could put on this list next June.

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I hope you enjoyed this recap of every team's cupboard as best I can. It's always a ton of fun to watch these players I've seen so much of in their draft years continue on their journeys to the NHL, however convoluted or straightforward they may be. Obviously I can't cover everything about every player here, so if I didn't cover your favorites here, I have a solution for you! Scouching Live happens every Wednesday at 8pm EST so Subscribe over on YouTube and don't miss the next one where all your questions can be answered! Thank you so much for reading, if you have any questions please leave a comment or DM me on Twitter/Instagram and I'll be happy to answer.