He can beat you by pushing through lanes to the middle third, driving the net, or dropping a shoulder to take space that isnt there. 2022 WHL Prospects Draft - First Round Order of Selection 1) Medicine Hat Tigers 2) Tri-City Americans 3) Victoria Royals 4) Calgary Hitmen 5) Swift Current Broncos 6) Regina Pats 7) Vancouver Giants 8) Spokane Chiefs 9) Prince George Cougars 10) Prince Albert Raiders 11) Lethbridge Hurricanes 12) Brandon Wheat Kings 13) Saskatoon Blades Check out his skating and awareness! His transition play and wicked shot make him the most important player on his team on many nights. There was a time when folks thought Musty was the best American-born 2005 prospect and while thats no longer the case theres still a lot to get excited about. Roman Kantserov, RW (Magnitogorsk) Hes got smooth skating mechanics. Noah Dower Nilsson is purely an offensive player at this point, but hes a very skilled one. 17, is one of the top prospects for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft , even though he was denied exceptional status by the WHL in 2019. Finesse. Hes a treat to watch in possession and processes the game at such an advanced and rapid level. The combination of his skating, shot, and playmaking skills makes him a true offensive weapon. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Stenberg is never the biggest guy on the ice, but hell drop a shoulder and push his way to the dangerous areas of the ice without hesitation. While Bedard scores by trying to shoot a wrister as hard as possible, trying to punch a hole through the goalie, Michkov will outsmart the defense and score by finding holes in coverage. I believe Michkov could still easily be the second overall pick even though hes playing in Russia and has a contract that will keep him playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for three full seasons following the draft. I dont think hes going to become the kind of star that youre hoping to get when you draft him in the 5-7 range that some expected him to land in this year, but hes got 2C, PP1 upside if he can fill out his game and continue to add dimension. Id like to see him pick up a bit more of an acceleration gear from a standstill (his stride can look a little short/stunted/heavy), and fill the scoresheet a little more (though the talent around him has something to do with that too), but theres a lot to like. Hes scoring roughly half a point per game there and has spent a few games in the J20 Nationell as well, Swedens top junior league, where he has shown that he is clearly a step above his age group, scoring nearly two points per game there. Of course, there are also some prospects who dropped in this edition of my rankings, including Brayden Yager and David Reinbacher. He has also taken a step forward in terms of production, placing him firmly as one of the top-20 scorers in the WHL. 10 Puck Touches: . Hes a multi-dimensional forward who has quick acceleration, can handle the puck at speed and change tempos in control, can shape play by opening up his hips to go heel-to-heel, thrives in traffic, is a dual shot-pass threat, plays one step ahead of the game in possession, supports the play effectively, problem-solves as well as anyone in this class (in an age group that is full of intelligent playmakers), works his tail off off the puck to keep his energy up (he plays heavier and scrappier than he looks, too), and sets the pace for his line (whether by picking it up or slowing it down to use his creativity). But after looking like one of the most talented players in Germany for U18 worlds, and then in Red Deer for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and now producing in the Czech Extraliga, he looks closer to a special Czech talent with real top-10 aspirations than he does to interesting prospect-who-torched-a-bad-league. This year, though he has struggled defensively in his limited minutes in the KHL, he has looked dominant at both ends in his returns to the MHL and comfortable in the second-tier VHL. His size is obviously a talking point, and theres a boom or bust element to his projection, but hes a first-round talent and a clear play creator on a team with a few of them in Chicago this year. And while he may not be a driver on a top-six line, its not hard to imagine him as a first- or second-line playmaker who makes finishing plays off of a drivers work and does damage on PP1. Hes going to be a transition monster. However, first-year bantams had been playing at the peewee level the previous year, and in order to list first-year bantams, WHL Clubs needed to scout the peewee ranks. Not Logan Cooley. His skill and power combination make him a nightmare for defenders as he can beat you with his hands or by tossing his large frame into you to protect the puck. William Whitelaw, C, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL), 56. Slick. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) cares about your privacy. Ill be shocked if he doesnt become a playmaking top-six centre and PP1 creator. There have been Lane Hutson (2022 Draft), Olen Zellweger (2021 Draft), Logan Stankoven (2020 Draft), and Cole Caufield (2019 Draft), to name a few. With the World Junior Hockey Championship coming. And while he shines in moments, those short moments and the consistency of his execution within them (despite being freakishly talented, he makes very few mistakes with the puck) create a uniquely high-reward, somehow low-risk game. The six lowest-place teams involved in the lottery include the Swift Current Broncos, Moose Jaw Warriors,. NHL. Hes going to be an NHLer. Related: The NHLs Best Farm Systems Ranked Midseason Update. The 18-year-old has accumulated 54 points (25 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games so far this season. Hes also a very selfless player for his age who is quick to change in the offensive zone and will sooner make the right play than trying to overdo it. Ive seen him create breakaways with ease, win races he should, and send defenders sliding when he stops up on them with a head of steam. A brilliant handler and manipulator of the puck, including at full speed, Smith is a tantalizing and slippery talent who blends deception, baits and fakes (with his eyes, shoulders and head) into his movements to not just make opposing players miss but often send them the wrong way. Hes just a natural creator for himself and others who manufactures offence in a variety of ways. He stays on pucks, hes got good instincts and takes smart routes around the ice, hes sound positionally, he applies pressure off of the puck and comes up with possession despite not being very physical, and he just always seems to be involved in positive things inside the offensive zone. Hes a commanding offensive defenceman who is at his best when hes looking to take charge with his feet. Scott Wheeler. But hes also sturdy for his size, which allows him to extend plays, hang onto pucks when a quick attack isnt there, or delay for his linemates. Hes a hard worker who makes his team better whenever he steps on the ice. Ziemmer is a December 2004 who was selected with the No. Scouts are drawn to him because of his size-skill combo and while he can look a little uncoordinated out there at times, that draw is real and theres some definite tools there. Tuomas Uronen, RW (HIFK), (Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Jamie Crawford, Minas Panagiotakis, Dennis Pajot / Getty Images). Related: Every NHL Teams Top Prospect Midseason Update. Hes got excellent touch and weight on his passes (hes a great saucer passer off of his forehand and backhand, in particular), and does a beautiful job waiting for lanes to open. His long stick can limit him catching and handling pucks in his feet at times, and he doesnt have a great shot, but those things should come and hes got great dexterity and reflexes. His playmaking and shot arent exceptional, but theyre both good enough to be reasonably sure that his offense would translate to the NHL some day. Wood is a rangy, goal-scoring forward who has silky hands for his size (considering the long stick he uses, hes got great control on the toe of his blade out wide and the heel in tight to his feet), a marksmans shot inside the offensive zone (both through a natural shooting motion and his one-timer), and a sixth sense for arriving around the net/slot at the right time. Benson is currently outscoring two of his teammates in Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie who were both drafted in the top-11 of the 2022 Draft. Reinbachers a solid forward and backwards skater (though he can look a little stilted at times) who gaps well and defends the rush effectively with a noticeably long stick. 7 overall in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft and he made his debut in 2019-20 playing in four games. For the 2010 bantam draft, players born in 1995 may be selected. He has the potential to change the trajectory of an NHL franchise and will likely score a ton of goals along the way. He walks the line and bends coverage as an impressive and tactical power-play quarterback. Within his movement patterns, he can handle the puck on a string. . During the bantam draft (typically held in early May), players from the four Western Provinces and the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are eligible to be selected. He plans things out on the ice at speed and then finds ways to make his desired play. At the time of writing, he leads all defenseman in points per game and is on pace to have one of the most impressive offensive seasons in league history amongst defensemen of any age, not just draft eligible ones. He has added a ton of strength since arriving at the program so that he can overwhelm junior level players with his power and speed. He has scored some highlight-reel goals in the WHL but he also excels at finding pockets of space off of coverage and remaining involved on offence and defence. Jakub Vrna (F) NHL. Related: The NHLs Top 100 Prospects Midseason Update. record-breaking performance at the World Juniors, be the smartest player in this draft class, The NHLs Top 100 Prospects Midseason Update, The NHLs Best Farm Systems Ranked Midseason Update, 10th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft, Every NHL Teams Top Prospect Midseason Update, Canucks Acquire Beauvillier & Raty From Islanders For Horvat, Bruins 3-Game Losing Streak Highlights Trade Deadline Needs, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker Live Updates, NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, NHL Rumors: Bruins, Coyotes, Senators, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Ken Holland Improved the Oilers at the 2023 Trade Deadline, Predators Poile Pulls Off Masterclass in Final Trade Deadline, Oilers Outperform Division Rivals at 2023 Trade Deadline, Will Smith 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile, Time for JT Miller to Prove Himself with the Canucks, Connor Bedard 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile, Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Murray, Zohorna, OReilly & Woll, Lightning Greatly Overpaid for Tanner Jeannot, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Was a Wildly Lopsided Arms Race, Devils Didnt Need Flashy Move After Adding Meier, NHL Rumors: Canucks, Penguins, Flyers, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Canucks Forgotten Ones: Mathieu Schneider, Bruins All-Time Best and Worst Trade Deadlines. 4 pick in the 2019 Bantam draft (a year ahead of when most of the plethora of other top WHL names on this list were selected). Luca Cagnoni, LD, Portland Winterhawks (WHL), 38. One of the most skilled and slippery players in this draft is Andrew Cristall, the only draft eligible player in the WHL who has been able to roughly keep pace with Bedard in terms of production this year. Yager plays a threatening, attacking, puck-dominant game with skill in straight lines and in cutting sequences in transition. His June birthday makes him one of the younger players on this list and he has already accomplished a lot, including leading a Slovak Hlinka Gretzky Cup team that featured Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar in scoring as an underager, producing well above a point per game in Swedens J20 level last year, and now producing in his draft year in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan (while clicking at two points per game in stints back down at J20). And he just always seems to play well, no matter the role/usage/stage. Last season was certainly a strange one for WHL scouts as they anticipated the task of two drafts in one calendar year. There he excelled as the team's number one d-man . Barlows size, strength, and maturity as a teenager lead me to believe he could have a real shot at making the NHL out of training camp for whichever team selects him, hes that talented and reliable. It often takes two to take the puck off of him when hes twisting and turning, too. If he can become a second-pairing offensively-inclined defenceman at even strength, and a PP1 QB, that has value in the middle of the first round. Arttu Karki, LD, Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja), 49. The beauty of Brindleys game is that while he may prove talented enough to play in a skill role at the NHL level, hes got the approach/tools to play an effective bottom-six game too. Scott Ratzlaff, G (Seattle) He has also begun to fill out his frame, which has helped turn him into a diligent, relied-upon two-way player off the puck. Carlssons ability to find and make space off the puck is also impressive for such a young player playing against grown men. While that bent-sideways cannon that he has off of his right hip is his defining quality, its not the only tool he has that is singular, either. Sign up for premium. Caden Price, LD, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 35. But youll also see him make the heady escape play out of his own zone under pressure at five-on-five, or slide into a passing line to intercept a pass, or disrupt an opposing carrier with a tight gap and active stick. He just has a unique ability to impose his will on the game. His statistical profile is really strong and continued progress in his skating (which has also noticeably improved this year) will keep it that way into the NHL. Hes a smooth skater. Yager is a prospect that I fully expect to still be drafted very early on draft day, I just havent been that impressed with his game this year. He may become a darn good, hard and heavy bottom-six player at the next level in time, but hell have to show me more to warrant a projection higher than that (a projection some others do still believe in). A Maine Black Bears commit, Nadeau creates offence in a variety of ways, bursting wide or pulling away from defenders in transition with his quick feet, taking the puck right at or through coverage with his maneuverability, or leaning into a pinpoint shot (whether off of catch-and-releases, standstill shooting mechanics off the flank on the power play or through his one-timer which the Vees have tried to open by playing him, a right-handed shot, on his off-wing this season). I love him on the half-wall/point on the PP with his ability to hit east-west seams (he just seems to see every lane and opening). Aiden Fink, RW, Brooks Bandits (AJHL), HM: Ian Scherzer, C, Rgle BK J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Gracyn Sawchyn, C, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), HM: Isac Born, C, Frlunda J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: David Edstrom, C, Frlunda J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Noel Nordh, LW/RW, Bryns IF J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Zeb Forsfjll, C, Skellefte AIK J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Jakub Dvorak, LD, Bl Tygri Liberec (Czechia). 2022 NHL Entry Draft Rankings First Round 1. Its not just his dominant, record-breaking performance at the World Juniors, dragging an underperforming Canada team to the gold medal, and its not just his 12 goals and 16 points in five games since returning to the WHL. Noel Nordh, LW (Brynas) Chloe Primerano was the Giants final selection in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. Heidt, taken No. I dont see a lot to nitpick in either his tools or his approach. I believe Austrian defender David Reinbacher is the best defenseman in the 2023 Draft class right now and an argument could be made that he could be ranked as high as the top-10. It will be followed by an updated top 32 after U18 Worlds (new this year in May), and my final top 100 (released in June). Hunter Brzustewicz, RD, Kitchener Rangers (OHL), 43. Watch out for Stenberg in the last months of the season, hes been playing better and better and I think hell go in the first round despite his lack of production in the SHL this year. Denver Barkey, C, London Knights (OHL), 63. About 2023 Draft Nhl Prospects . I think the former outcome is the more likely, which is why Id probably steer clear of him in the teens (where some believe he belongs). With the puck on his stick, hes a treat to watch. His play in transition leaves something to be desired, but once hes in the offensive zone his ability to maintain control of the puck and make smart passes at an efficient rate makes him a consistent threat.