The Scouching Blog

Scouching's December 2022 NHL Draft Rankings

12/20/2021

Good day! We meet again. I do hope you and yours are all well and safe during this holiday season. I hope I can bring some kind of holiday happiness by presenting the first batch of my findings for the 2022 NHL Draft! Over 100 players have been tracked, some as many as three times, with plenty more coming in the near future. Because you're all so wonderful, I've taken a ton of time focusing on watching and tracking as much as I can since September and held back on putting out a completed list to ensure that my list is as robust as possible, casting as wide a net as I can before refining things as the year goes on.

If you're a Patron of the project, you can view my rankings as they change over the year, with the full list unlocked at the $25 tier along with my full data sheet of >800 skaters and goaltenders' data.

If you're unfamiliar, I generally tend to think of my rankings in "Tiers", which attempts to group players into a pool from which I feel the order could be interchangeable, with the numbers ordering the players as how I might push for them in a draft discussion. I find that it creates much more balanced and nuanced discussion, especially considering these players are so young and may have wildly different potential trajectories that may differ reasonably depending on which NHL organization picks them up. I track all data myself through video at 5v5. Shots, passes, and transition data are the main points I try to hit, and I try to capture exactly what kind of impact the player is having while on the ice.

I also feel it’s prudent to share my personal philosophy so readers can better understand the types of players that I value. Others may have a differing view on what to look for in a young player, and that’s all fine and good, but if I can help you get inside my head a little, it may make for more interesting discussion when those competing opinions inevitably collide. In the NHL Draft, I’m always looking for traits in a player that you can’t often find in the NHL in plentiful amounts. Scoring is of course important, but scoring is the result of strong procedural play that starts with earning puck possession, maintaining possession, getting pucks into the offensive zone, creating scoring chances from high risk areas, and only then will the puck go in the net. A lot of things need to be done well in order to get the puck in an NHL net. Skill at game pace in 5v5 minutes is pivotal, as is speed, but I also look for pace in a player. Can a player put their tools together at game speed to achieve the goals I mentioned earlier? You can be as fast as you want, but if you can’t handle the puck at those speeds, you’ll be useful in fewer scenarios. You can be as skilled as the best on Instagram, but if you can’t read, anticipate and adapt to physical pressure from grown men and maintain possession, you’ll have trouble finding the time and space needed to use that skill, let alone if you lack the quickness and speed that always helps escape that pressure as well. Are you small? I’m far more charitable to smaller players, but only if you display remarkable quickness, fearlessness under pressure and projectable scoring ability that could beat NHL goaltenders one day. I’ll almost always prioritize players who get everything but the scoring right over players who can score, but have trouble driving results elsewhere. My focus is always on what a player could be with the talent presented, even if in short spurts, and I’ll always bet on quick, creative players that drive play with pace and skill at all positions, with a bonus being the fun factor of the player’s game.

With all that out of the way, enjoy the list and please let me know what you think!

Tier 1 - Yeah I'm Doing This, Fight Me.

Yep, I genuinely believe that Shane Wright is not a total lock for 1st overall. I think he'll be at #1 when the time comes, but I think there are legitimate challengers, and I would completely believe it if another player emerged as the most impactful NHLer out there. I love Wright's intelligence with the puck, ability to read and adapt to pressure with skill and pass vision, and his shot is remarkable. I worry about the pace of his game fully translating, but pairing him with quicker, skilled offensive wingers could help him settle into a positional support role with finishing upside. I really like the guy, I just think there are challengers to the throne.
With regards to Brad Lambert, my hands at this point are not only made of diamonds, but reinforced with adamantium infused mega-hyper-steel with all I've read about Lambert being a player destined to slip in the draft. Yes, he can be a frustrating watch when it comes to making plays and getting himself into scoring position off-puck, but holy crap there is so much to like. Nobody has ever been as successful as Lambert transporting the puck up the ice in the Liiga at this age, and the signs are immeasurably bright that the puzzle is very close to being put together. I've seen him look off clear playmaking opportunities in the offensive zone, but I feel like these situations can be fixed in the next few years. If he does slip, I think the potential is massive.
Matthew Savoie is a weird one. He may drop a bit on my board over the year, but he's a top ten guy to me without a doubt. There's pretty electrifying speed out of his turns with an ability to send pucks into dangerous areas in multiple ways, but the more I watch, the more questions I have. Is the skill enough, is the forward skating enough, is he going to be strong enough, all common questions for players like Savoie, but I'm optimistic. He's producing more on the power play for a reason, but that indicates some raw potential that I think he can leverage in the future. Names a little further down may be "safer" on the backs of size and strength with a degree of skill, but Savoie could be an exciting add for a team to add some serious firepower.
Logan Cooley has a lot of Savoie echoes. The data tracked so far is wild, with almost a perfect transition game through two games, a ton of dangerous shot and pass attempts with an Offensive Threat of over 30, which is certainly not bad. He's quick, agile to avoid pressure, reads play well to adapt, and in my view, is the best player available on the NTDP roster this year.

Tier 2 - High End Wild Cards

I simply love Seamus Casey's game as it is, but his potential could be enormous. He's driven tremendous results in my data in multiple offensive metrics. There's great skill and evasion ability with a fearlessness under pressure that makes Casey one of the more exciting defenders out there. There are weaknesses, but most clearly he's a player that can't really explode with speed out of his turns to truly escape pressure against higher end opponents. That is indeed a bit spooky, but some development with a powerhouse Michigan NCAA team could do him well. His vision through traffic couples well with his mobility, and if he's a guy who is available a little later in the first round, he could be one of the higher potential defenders out there relative to draft slot.
Frickin' Juraj Slafskovsky. I have seen professional opponents pin him against the boards, but they don't actually get anything done. He just gets his arms free, and somehow makes a play with a defender all over him. There are flashes of high end skill and speed for such a large player, and I believe he's quicker than the video indicates. His U20 footage I've seen is hilarious considering how big and quick he is, and while he isn't a perfect player in the Liiga yet, I think with a couple years to get comfortable on his giant frame, and some more experience to apply and improve that skill more often, and Slafkovsky could be a great skill power winger in the NHL. I think there's risk of not hitting his ceiling, but it's a unique skillset you do not find easily in the NHL.
David Jiricek is very much up the same alley to me. He's huge, moves pretty well when not under pressure, and there are flashes of skill and creativity offensively that again, you do not see often in defenders like Jiricek. Some NHL teams will simply love how "mean" he is. I've seen him use opponents backs as washboards a few times and literally throw players to the ice, often taking penalties that didn't need to be taken, but it's still something you see in the NHL I guess? On the other hand, Jiricek's tracked data almost across the board is... bad. There's significant "mean defenseman syndrome" at times, where Jiricek plays like he's a big, mean and nasty defensive defenseman, but his actual results are simply not indicative of that strategy working. Pinching on rushes defensively are often shutting down play, and when applying that mean streak along the boards, he or his team doesn't gain possession. I think there's a monster of a defenseman here with some offensive tools with some skills development, but he's a hard one to read and project right now.
It's bordering on bad for my mental health to constantly wonder if I'm missing something with Joakim Kemell relative to others who watch a lot of Finnish hockey. First off, I'm a fan of Kemell, and have been since last year. I just am not so much of a fan of his game that he's a top-3 player to me, which is where he's increasingly being placed. His off puck sense of space is better than Brad Lambert, and I like the quality of his shot more than Lambert, but that's about where it stops. He's slower, less effective or involved defensively, his shot selection is volume focused from poor locations and has gotten lucky on a number of scored goals in my view, he has a very limited playmaking streak, and his offensive transition game is significantly less efficient. I think he could be a solid complimentary scorer to pair with some players who can play with the puck, but I'm always skittish about drafting that kind of profile much higher than this.
Danila Yurov is another really tough one. Yes, he hasn't played many minutes in the KHL, but he also has gotten some good minutes in a few games against some bad KHL teams, and in all minutes I've seen him, he hasn't played like he deserves more minutes. There's good scoring instincts to get into lanes and find space off the puck, and I like his skill and agility along the boards at this level. I just think back to previous KHLers I've watched at the same age, and remember liking what I was seeing of Rodion Amirov, who did play more, but I was more impressed with right away. Am I missing something? It's entirely possible, but I haven't been part of the chorus begging for him to have more ice time. It'd just be nice to see him at a level between the MHL and KHL. If only there was something that could be done.

Tier 3 - The Fun Guys

These guys are all just... a lot of fun. I'm not sure they're quite on the level of the names in Tier 2, but they aren't far off.
Isaac Howard drives great results in my data with remarkable offensive volume and efficiency, with an Offensive Threat of 30.4. He can have trouble truly shaking off pursuers, but with time I'm not particularly concerned. He's a ton of fun to watch, even if he's a bit small, and I'll have my eyes closely on him for the rest of the year. Tons of metrics right now sit in the top 10 of all players tracked to this point.
lol gleb trikozov. If there ever was a player who indicates outstanding upside with remarkable risk, it's G L E B. When he gets his feet moving, he's amazingly fast. When he executes on playmaking opportunities, it usually works. Just to run down the data scaled for ice time a bit, he is *ahem*: First in total offensive transitions. First in controlled offensive transitions. Second in offensive transition involvement. Third in total zone transitions involvement. Fourth in the percentage of of shot attempts where the player is taking or creating them. Sixth in dangerous pass attempts. Fifth in completing them. When it comes to offense, Gleb belongs here. The problem is when he doesn't have the puck. He's just not really... there. Low defensive involvement, low defensive success, too much waiting around for a chance to do his thing. When he does his thing, he's a rock star though. A bit more confidence to get into dangerous areas more is the only hole in his offensive game, and I'm very, very optimistic.
Noah Östlund might have a ton of upside, but there's a ton of risk. He's got plenty of skill, vision and shot quality, but I worry about his ability to really flex his offensive muscles in the NHL, and his defensive muscles aren't particularly projectable either as it is now. Getting quicker and more comfortable at high speeds will be necessary, but his ability to adapt to pressure is impressive. I have no idea where he'll be drafted, and he may end up a bit lower for me, but the upside is there and I want him to get there.
Ok Calle Odelius has rocketed up my board over the year. He blew me away at the Hlinka and his play with Djurgården has been remarkable. Excellent four way mobility, excellent skill, great puck protection ability, and a great ability to cut and change directions to challenge opponents all over the ice. He's evasive and intelligent, and a true example of where I believe defending in hockey is going. He could easily be as high as a top-10 pick to me, but I'm pretty confident with him right in the middle of the first round for now.
Why are more people not talking about Jiri Kulich? He's responsible at both ends. He's got great flashes of skill with a quality release. He's fast in transition, and could do to be more confident with the puck on his stick. A bit more skill development to give him that evasion gear he lacks a little will take him a ways. Even if he specializes off the puck and getting simple chances in front, he does it well. I could see a middle six Swiss Army Knife player, which in the middle of the first is perfectly reasonable in my view.
Filip Mesar is very smart and it shows. He knows how to evade pressure, he knows how to find seams, he knows how to read and anticipate offenses, he knows how to delay his play with the puck to draw defenders around. He's just a rock solid hockey player, through and through and keeps moving up my board.
On the other hand, Ivan Miroshnichenko. Now, I really don't think he's as bad as he's been portrayed by some, but he has been disappointing this year. The fundamental tools are there. His shot is quick, his cuts on offensive rushes to change angles and deceive opponents is impressive, and his ability to make a play under pressure is also impressive, but this is definitely not a player I'm comfortable with in the top 5 as he was projected early in the year. Yes, I've simply been more impressed with Gleb Trikozov, even if he's playing often at a lower level and not scoring at the same rate in the VHL. I think Miroshnichenko is playing a style he's not particularly comfortable playing, but he also has issues reading the ice and using linemates to his advantage. Far too often I'll see him barrel through the neutral zone on his own only to fire a hard wrist shot just inside the blueline directly at a goalie's logo. That just isn't going to work.

Tier 4 - Potentials and Projectables

This group is an interesting mix of relatively safe projections, and players who show high amounts of promise, but with flaws that currently hold them back at the moment.
Marco Kasper is probably the best example of the former, with a strong sense of responsibility and positioning at both ends, capable of cramming pucks in and around the slot area, and rock solid offensive transition ability. He may not be the flashiest pick to add, but I can see him being a dependable and reliable player you rarely have to worry about, even if he isn't filling the net himself.
Cutter Gauthier is one of the more fun players in this group, let alone much of the draft. He's quick, his hands are quicker, and he can deceive with that quickness before pulling pucks wide to drive around defenders. His shot selection is more volume based, and his passing in transition offensively can be a mixed bag, but there are many flashes of really impressive talent with Gauthier and by the end of the year he could be higher on my list than the early 20s.
I can already hear the Conor Geekie questions, and I just wonder about his projection. He's another volume shooter who I've found struggles to get inside consistently against WHL competition. His passing work is relatively low in volume and even lower in completion rates, but he does have impressive offensive zone vision to send pucks into the slot with little skill moves under pressure. If he has time and space to wheel up, he can be a tough player to stop, but I wonder what happens in a couple of years in the NHL when it comes to being an all-around impact player. Will he play? Almost certainly, but I feel like he may peak at around the same level as guys like Kasper.
I'll be quick on Lekkerimäki. He can really shoot, and has some moments of skill. He reminds me of Alexander Holtz but ratcheted down a bit. I think he'll need some help to make things go, but when things go, he's usually finishing plays somehow.
I am 100% certain I have Tyler Duke a bit too high, and I wouldn't take the chance on him in the 1st round, but I certainly am fascinated with where he'll be in five years. Yes, of course, he's small. I can go on EliteProspects too. Duke is another one of these strong defensive players with offensive potential who doesn't have typical defensive player size, but the stickwork and at times the mobility off-puck is highly interesting to me. He needs to get quicker in a straight line, improving his skill level would help too, and his defensive rush route management could really use work as he can avoid challenging puck carriers by driving too far inside to generate the speed necessary to drive back outside, but this guy just has flashes that are more exciting than quite a few players ranked ahead of him. He's a tireless worker, leads the NTDP in shot differentials, and I think a smart team will take a smart flyer on this guy and let him develop for a few years in college.
Almost the exact same goes for Lane Hutson, but the offense is the part that really sticks out, and the defense is... really worrisome. There's a strong chance Hutson peaks in the NHL in my view, but his skill level, creativity, and flair are hard to ignore. He is an example of a defender where I'd say his size holds him back. He physically does not take up much space, and his feet can't make up that difference in my viewings. If he can become an absolutely top tier elite level skater at college, I could see a heck of a dynamic offensive defenseman here, but I think there's a long road ahead.
The group of Chesley, Duke, Hutson, Mintyukov, Grudinin, Mateychuk, and Pickering all bring strengths and weaknesses and to me are largely interchangeable.
Mateychuk is a heck of an exciting player in the offensive zone, jumping into offensive cycles often, and shows smart skill to manage the puck all around the ice, but I worry about how his game projects to the NHL with his lack of truly high end mobility and speed, but he can read play well to get in the way of defensive rushes. I'll need to see more, but opinions on him are all over the place.
I'm surprised Chesley isn't scoring more. I like the combination of footwork and skill to navigate the ice and get into space, but his data tracked has been pretty mediocre on the whole. He's a player that looks good to my eye though, and I think with some general improvement in his game, he could become a solid minutes eater.
Mintyukov is a cowboy. I love watching him play, but he's a cowboy. He can take the foot off the gas pedal and have really unfortunate lapses in awareness defensively, but this dude with the puck is such a treat. He's big, skilled, powerful, and confident. I think the pros outweigh the cons, and I always look forward to tracking a game of his, even if some of the time it is very not fun.
Pickering is a huge wild card. His package of size, skill, and at least rotational mobility is tremendously fun. Below the goal line, his hands and feet are extremely impressive when opening his viewpoint of the ice and scanning for dangerous passing options. His ability to take care of the puck and hit targets has been mixed so far, with plenty of turnovers and trying stretch passes when they may not be necessary, leading to a poor OCZT%, but he has all the gifts with his feet and hands to develop into an excellent offensive puck carrier with solid defensive tools surrounding his size and reach alone.
Grudinin go brr, and I like. I don't know what he is, but he's a quick four way skater that I think could do to be much more assertive than he is. I watched Daniil Chayka completely turn into a boring defensive nightmare with CSKA last year when he had clear flashes of being a dynamic, mobile defender to lean much more offensively than he did. I wonder if similar tactics and tendencies are being coached into Grudinin's game when looking at his talent profile and data side by side.
Devin Kaplan is another slow burn guy. Tons of skill, he's got the mind of a playmaker off the boards, but it just hasn't all come together just yet this season for him. He could be had later in the draft, but he's caught my eye many times while watching other NTDP players for his flair and confidence.

Tier 5 - A Big Giant Mess of Curious Cases

I feel that Paul Ludwinski has been the energetic winger that does a lot of the dirty work to enable Shane Wright to stay in open ice and manage breakouts there with Kingston. He's fast, plays hard, and is one of the better offensive transition players I've tracked this year. If he can build on his skill level to get deeper into the offensive zone and put defenders on their heels, he could significantly outperform his draft slot, even as a complimentary energy forward in the NHL.
I went into tracking Danny Zhilkin expecting to be underwhelmed, but he's put up some great results all over the ice in both games tracked right now. His hands are deceptive, he's quick to my eye in a straight line, he finds space off-puck landing a ton of dangerous shot attempts for himself, and he can create plays at a rate I rarely see. With an offensive threat metric approaching 40, it's almost impossible to sustain that over an entire dataset, but most players that reach that number in major junior hockey have turned out just fine. I wouldn't be surprised to see him creep into the first round, but as the second name I pick, you wouldn't have to convince me to much.
Kevin Korchinski with the puck is a big yes for me. Skill and confidence to move pucks with great efficiency, with tons of attempts into the slot for a defenseman. I question his defensive intensity and physical imposition ability, but there's a lot of things to like, and he could end up higher on my list.
Let's talk about Rutger. He reminds me a lot of my thoughts on Martin Chromiak two years ago. Good finishing ability, not a great skater in any way, and takes the foot off the gas pedal without the puck. He is one of the more reliable passers I've tracked, able to read his options in advance and quickly execute on them accurately, and if he isn't in motion, he's a great pass target high in the defensive zone to facilitate offensive transitions. First round pick? I'm not entirely sure, but he could be a nice supportive forward with better linemates in the NHL.
I wanted Elias Salomonsson to be a thing so bad after what I saw last year. I thought he'd develop into an SHL regular this year, but I have been poking him with a stick asking him to do something for the entire season. He's far too passive defensively, far to passive and safe with the puck, and is playing as if he has absolutely no confidence, when I've seen him do things that many other defenders in this draft don't do with the puck. He could be an excellent passer with skill and deception, but it just isn't there right now. Is there a better player locked away somewhere, sure. Do I still value him as one of the best defenders available? Unfortunately not at the moment.
Nathan Gaucher may be big and mean, but I like his vision under pressure more than I thought I would, and he can get a nice head of steam going offensively. He'll probably get drafted way before I'd take him, but I guess I see why.
Julian Lutz hasn't played due to injury, but this passes my vibe check after watching him last year. He's a wild card but he's got high pace skill and I really hope to see him in the DEL before the end of the season.
I like Luca Del Bel Belluz's potential as a puck carrier with the size and speed he can display, but my tracked data is shockingly low in volume almost across the board. If he can get more involved in play more often, I could see a lot of growth in his game, but I do believe he belongs in this range.

Tier 6 - The Fun Longshots

These guys are all just a ton of fun. Some may not even be drafted, but who cares. Lots of good NHL players don't get drafted the first time around.
Jordan Gustafson will get picked, and I really like what I've seen. He absolutely needs to improve his skating almost across the board, but he gives me Shane Wright feelings with how he anticipates play, uses skill and vision to move pucks with control, while bringing a dual threat offensive game that I think could improve with higher pace.
Maveric Lamoureux plays kind of like an octopus out there. His reach is enormous, and he uses it to pluck pucks out of lanes in the neutral zone often and get them to safety. Will he even be available at the end of the second? I would be shocked. I think he's a player you can sign in the NHL these days, but I feel like he'll land some kind of defense-first role doing what he does well in 2021.
I want to like Justin Côté but outside of how he shoots the puck, I find him far too hard to see carving out a role in the NHL. He's skilled, but I don't think it's enough. He looks quick, but I don't think he gets around quick enough. He can really shoot, but he struggles to get inside and relies on volume, volume, volume. As a late round flyer, you can probably do far worse than Côté, but after tracking him, my view of him has changed since the offseason.
Yep, Lukas Gustafsson Yegor Suchkov and Jiri Tichacek are still in here. They're Team Scouching members, so I won't be putting them on my list in the 2022 Draft, but I'm continually impressed with all three of these guys whenever I see them. Suchkov is leading his VHL team in scoring and should probably be in the KHL. Gustafsson's wheels are clearly turning and his production is improving over the year. He generates chances constantly and I absolutely love watching him play. Tichacek is among the leaders on a Czech Extraliga team, and is gaining more confidence offensively. These guys are unconventional but I still have tons of respect for how they play.
Joel Jonsson could end up higher on my list than the late second. He's fast and skilled, but very raw. He looked excellent when he got a chance to play in the Allsvenskan with Mora's men's team, and I hope there's more of that down the stretch. Putting it all together to play better pursuit defense along the wings, and a better ability to create speed from zero would be ideal, but a lot of boxes are checked for me.
Kenta Isogai is definitely one of my personal favourites this year. He's small, but he's fast and absolutely relentless. Japan seems to be churning out these undersized but fast and exciting young players, and while Isogai didn't go to the World Juniors to play for Japan, he's another example of that brand of play. He gets to the net for shots with and without the puck far more often than you'd think, he shuts down defensive transitions more often than you'd think, and he drives some of the best offensive transition metrics I've tracked.
haha beau jelsma go brr.

Tier 7 - The "I'm Not Sure" Tier

These are all names where I'm not sure if they belong on the numbered list, or the watchlist in "we'll see" territory.
Hudson Thornton with the puck in the offensive zone? Yeah, I'm a fan. Great shot, he opens his feet to maneuver around the ice well, but the defensive game is just not there at all. Huge wild card to me, but I like bits and pieces.
Jake Martin is still here, and I feel a little bad seeing him on a pretty poor Wisconsin team. The defensive game is still there, and the puck management issue from last year is still a work in progress, but I still like the dude and think that he still could be a good defensive player with more development from here.
Hunter Haight may end up unranked. I'm just not sure what he brings that really moves the needle and I've kept bumping him down. There's nice awareness and selfless puck movement, but I'm not sure where he goes in the NHL. Same goes for Pano Fimis and Bryce McConnell-Barker.
Filip Nordberg has had some absolutely awful moments in the games I've seen, especially in the Allsvenskan, but the rangy-ness and skill are impressive for a big man.
Ryan Greene and Adam Ingram? I dig them both, and Ingram is certainly scoring a ton, but a lot is on the power play which always requires further investigation. Ingram's skill and vision is pretty impressive, but he's older for the draft class and has comparable even strength production to my boy Kenta Isogai, who is also nearly a year younger.
Alexander Suvorov should've been drafted and he went into the KHL this year and has been quite impressive. With Belarus at the recent World Junior Division 1A tournament, he was involved in 42% of their goals with 11 points, landing them in the World Juniors next year which he unfortunately won't be eligible for. He's skilled, but could use to be a bit quicker to evade pressure at higher levels a bit better, but he's improving at a solid rate year over year.
Jordan Dumais and Antonin Verreault are tough. They're both very small, and the evaluation has to change a bit in their situation. I am pretty confident that Dumais has the gift of great linemates, but he's shifty and deceptive with his body. I just worry about higher defensive pressure at the next level. Verreault is much the same, but I think there's a bit more pace to like in his game.

The Watchlist

Ahhh The Watchlist. The list where I get to stick my neck out on some guys that I've just had a ton of fun watching, but not seriously considering to draft unless it's late in the draft and you have some picks to spare.
Vadim Fattakhov is so fun, and he's scoring a ton. He's small, but he's aggressive, skilled, and absolutely relentless off the puck. I highly recommend watching him. Same goes for Roenick Jodoin, who is only just now getting moving in his OHL career.
Adam Zlinka caught my eye watching another player and Zlinka broke into the offensive zone, did a spin-o-rama and attacked the middle of the ice. It seems he is injured, and when checking, it seems it occurred at the end of a game while skating to the bench, but in any case, he's fun with a bit of skill.
Dario Sidler is in here. Electrifying little defenseman who is scoring everywhere he goes, even in a men's league this year on a poor team. I'm excited to see him in the World Juniors.
Isaiah George has feet and hands that work well together, but he rarely uses them fully. If he can unlock what I've seen in spurts, I think he could work out.
Marcel Mahkovec is a Slovenian playing down in the German leagues, and I don't think he'll be drafted, but I've liked what I've seen. He's dynamic and shifty, has a great shot, and just finished leading Slovenia in scoring at the World Junior Division 2A tournament, taking them to a 2nd place finish behind a strong French team. Vaasan Sport defender Bine Masic was fun too when I saw him, but I'm more interested in Mahkovec.
Cole Spicer may be a guy, but he's a skilled guy and he's caught my eye a few times. Same goes for Marek Hejduk. Cruz Lucius almost made this list too, but I just have more doubts about just how high end his offensive tools have been.
Adam Sýkora caught my eye watching teammate Simon Nemec. Lots of skill, improving scoring ability, and I'll be curious to see him in the World Juniors this year.
Finally, I want to bring up Rihito Hamano. Yeah, he didn't have any points on the Japanese National Team but hear me out. He's a winger who seems to have been converted to defense for this season, and put back on the wing with the Japanese team. His energy is absolutely relentless and he looked like one of the fastest players in the tournament, making great defensive plays with that speed time and time again. There were chances he created and finished, just nothing went in. At high speeds, his skill level completely falls apart, and that will need to be worked on, and he's clearly still learning how to play defense, but I do think that there's a chance he becomes and exciting puck carrier with more development. Sometimes I watch him and just laugh for both the good and the bad, but I feel like he deserves some attention.

That's all folks! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday season. I think this year's class is a little underwhelming, but there's very interesting and exciting depth to be had. As always, there are guys around the world I've just enjoyed watching, regardless of NHL upside, which is often where a lot of the joy of this work comes from for me. It's just a bunch of gifted kids chasing their dreams, and I have the utmost respect for them. I don't expect another ranking until March, but expect a World Junior recap post in January, along with further McKeens Video team work now that the 2022 Draft is creeping up to us!

Be safe and be well.

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