Is the NHL About to Explode?
Within the last handful of months, the hockey world has seen some of the best young talents emerge from all around the world. We saw the 2021 1st overall pick, Buffalo Sabers defenseman Owen Power, record a hat-trick in his first 20u World Junior Classic appearance. Just days later, we witnessed 16-year-old Connor Bedard put up a 4 goal performance in the same 20u World Junior Classic tournament, then record yet another 4 goal performance in the WHL less than a week later. These young talents have led NHL fans to ask the question: Is the NHL’s talent pool about to explode?
Let’s talk about the 2022 NHL Draft Class. This Class has quickly become one of the most anticipated draft classes in recent years. Highlighted by the Kingston Frontenacs captain, 17-year-old Shane Wright, this draft class is loaded with potential star-studded talent, and here are a few player who I think you should look out for:
SHANE WRIGHT, C - Shane Wright has been the consensus first overall pick for the past couple months, and for good reason. At just 17 years old, Wright has posted 43 points in his first 31 games this season, thanks to his offensive heavy style of play. Despite this, many people have considered this season a “slow start” for Wright and are skeptical if he will still hold the top spot when July rolls around. Nonetheless, Wright has demonstrated his elite playmaking and sniping abilities in the OHL, and at such a young age, the sky's the limit for this kid.
MATTHEW SAVOIE, C - Savoie’s start to his WHL career has been nothing short of exceptional. At 18 years of age in his first full season, Savoie has managed to put up an outstanding 55 points in 38 games while dishing out 36 assists on a first place Winnipeg ICE team. Standing at just 5 foot 9, Savoie’s frame allows him to be a quick, crafty player, making it easy for him to orchestrate his offense. He has been widely considered a top 3 player in this draft class, but he could easily bounce ahead of Wright for the number one spot if he continues this level of play.
LOGAN COOLEY, C - University of Minnesota commit Logan Cooley has been nothing short of exceptional up to this point. Posting 37 points in 27 games for the 18u US Men’s National Team, the top American prospect has caught the eye of many. His on ice presence has been reflected in the scorebook with a plus/minus of 22 this year, and his NHL-ready shooting and vision has made him one of the top prospects in this draft class.
JOAKIM KEMELL, RW - Since the release of the first draft rankings, Finnish forward Joakim Kemell has topped the charts as one of the most anticipated prospects in the draft. Known for his incredible accuracy, Kemell has scored 12 goals in 32 games in Liiga. Although Kemell has recently been dropping in rankings, his performance hasn’t. The best explanation for this is simply that others in the draft have been outperforming him recently, and if Kemell can keep his consistency, he could easily become one of the steals of the draft.
ŠIMON NEMEC, D - The 6 foot 1, Slovakian defenseman Šimon Nemec has proven himself not only as the best defensemen in this draft class, but also the best two-way player in this draft class. Tallying 22 assists in 32 games in Slovakia, Nemec has shown to be an all around prospect. He can shock you at one end with his incredible vision and passing ability, then rock you at the other end with his elite defensive awareness and fearlessness. Nemec excels in his skating abilities, using them to start the break, create space, and cover a large area in his own end.
IVAN MIROSHNICHENKO, LW - In my opinion, Ivan Miroshnickenko is one of the more underrated players in this draft, despite being projected as a top 15 draft pick. At first glance, his stats don’t necessarily stand out. He’s put up 10 goals and 6 assists in 31 games in the VHL as a 17 year old. However, Miroshnichekno has shot 11.0% this season, just above league average and quite impressive for a underager. Miroshnichenko has been the second best shooter in this class, just behind Wright, and if his pin-point accuracy, his explosive shot, and his consistency can translate to the NHL, Miroshnickenko can quickly become one of the league's best scorers.
BRAD LAMBERT, C - Once considered the lone threat to Wright’s number 1 spot, Lambert has had a very slow start in Liiga this year, putting up an underwhelming 2 goals and 4 assists in 24 games. However, Lambert has recently shown sparks of a bright, young prospect. In this year's World Junior Classic, Lambert recorded 5 points in 2 games for a first place Finland team against some of the top prospects in the world. Given that Lambert is playing in one of the hardest hockey leagues in the world as an underager, I think his slow start has been a bit of an over exaggeration and that Lambert is still one of the best prospects in this class.
ELIAS SALOMONSSON, D - Sweden has been known as a powerhouse in producing top notch NHL defensemen. Playing for Skellefteå in the Swedish League, Salomonsson has been a highly sought after prospect. Looking at his stats, Salomonsson has registered an impressive 19 points in 26 games as a defensemen in the J20 Nationell. Last season, he played alongside Detroit Red Wings top defensive prospect, Simon Edvinsson, and many hope he will have the upside of him, which is very realistic. Still, Salomonsson has been slowly dropping in draft rankings because of underperforming his preseason expectations. Even so, passing on a strong, two-way defender in Salomonsson might be one that teams will regret in the draft.
Although I only covered 8 prospects in this article, the 2022 NHL Draft Class has many more prospects who have the potential to make a massive impact on an NHL roster. Top prospects such as Danila Yurov (RW), Juraj Slafkovsky (C), Denton Mateychuk (D), Rutger McGroarty (C), Frank Nazar (RW), David Jiříček (D), Isaac Howard (LW), Bryce McConnell-Barker (C), and more have all shown flashes of future NHL superstars, and by the time July rolls around, it will be interesting to see where these players will end up and if this draft class will live up to the hype.