Draft Preview

With the NHL Draft coming up in a couple of days, GMs have a lot to think about with this draft. The main question here is who is Montreal going to draft first overall? Is it pain for Shane? Or is it slack-off for Slafkov? There is only one way to see: let’s dive into this year's future NHLers. (Description will slowly be going down after the first 10 picks)

1. With the first overall pick, we have Shane Wright, even after all the reports saying he won’t go number 1, Shane wright is still the most complete player in the draft. The price is Wright for the Habs and the young star will have a great future in the league. Pain for Shane it is.

2. New Jersey Devils, with their second overall pick- Juraj ​​Slafkovsky, the devils already have pretty good center depth so drafting Slafkovsky over Cooley is fine as it helps their left-wing problem. Juraj, the Slovakian native put up big numbers as an 18-year-old in the Olympics as he scored 7 goals in 7 games. That put scouts on notice and proves he could be NHL-ready right out of the gate.

3. Arizona Coyotes- Pretty easy selection here for the Coyotes as they select Logan Cooley. This will help them a lot, especially their much-needed center depth issue. The Sidney Crosby hockey camp that Cooley went to has turned him into a top 3 pick, but if Arizona develops him correctly, he can become a superstar.

4. Seattle Kraken- Simon Nemec, Seattle gets their future number one defenceman after selecting their future star Matty Beniers with their first-ever NHL draft pick. Nemec a great 2-way defender might not have the size, but his high IQ and great playmaking abilities can be compared to a slightly bigger Quinn Hughes.

5. Philadelphia Flyers- David Jiricek, the Flyers find their future defenseman to build around. Although he suffered a knee injury in the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship that kept him out for around four months, he rebounded to have a pretty solid campaign for Czechia at the World Championship. A right-handed shot, Jiricek is a great defenseman, especially with his size Philly will land a good one.

6. Columbus Blue Jackets- Cutter Gauthier, the goal-scoring threat already has an NHL-type shot. He can be a utility man as he is slated as a left-wing, but is starting at center next year when he goes to Boston College. That type of utility can help Columbus a lot in the near future.

7. Ottawa Senators- Joakim Kemell, the kid had 15 in 39 games this past year but a couple of shoulder injuries halted his game for a combined 2 months, but his potential can’t be passed up on, his wicked shot can fool goalies with a blink of an eye. Pair him up with Pinto or Stützle that’s 25-plus goals for the kid.

8. Detroit Red Wings- Jonathan Lekkerimaki, if you ever want a William Nylander type of guy on your team, this is a kid you want, he’s a great scorer but lacks effort and consistency. If the Red Wings can help him overcome those obstacles he will be a better Nylander.

9. Buffalo Sabers- Matthew Savoie, this guy is an offensive stud his playmaking is off the charts, and his skill-making is a must-watch TV every game he plays. His defensive abilities need work a lot of work, but Buffalo gets their future center.

10. Anaheim Ducks- Isaac Howard, is a very underrated player even after leading his team in points with 82 (33 goals) his skating is something else, and his IQ is great, but in order for him to reach his true potential, he needs to be playing on the Power play.

11. San Jose Sharks- Pavel Mintyukov, has a similar play style as Erik Karlson and led the OHL for points by a defenceman.

12. Columbus Blue Jackets- Their second lottery pick can add another forward to their lineup by drafting Marco Kasper a center from Sweden. Has good accuracy on his shot and his work ethic is like no others in this draft.

13. New York Islanders- Denton Mateychuk, a top defenceman in this draft can quarterback a powerplay and joins rushes to make scoring opportunities.

14. Winnipeg Jets- Conor Geekie, played for Winnipeg this past year in the WHL, his confidence is unreal, and brings size to the team. Winnipeg could use him with the unknown future of Mark Scheifele.

15. Vancouver Canucks- Ryan Chesley, a 17-year-old who can play alongside Quinn Hughes. Will have to wait a couple of years, as he will be playing for the University of Minnesota next year.

16. Buffalo Sabers- Frank Nazar, a right-wing with mostly defensive abilities, his offense needs to improve a lot but did have 72 points for USNTDP.

17. Nashville Predators, Kevin Korchinski, a highly offensive-minded defenseman, creates scoring chances like it’s nothing, if he falls to Nashville, they got a special one.

18. Dallas Stars- Owen Pickering, a big-bodied defenceman that could replace Klingberg sooner rather than later. A top 4 D-man that plays the 2-way role, but can work on his offensive ability. He was on Canada’s U-18 team before it got postponed due to a Covid Outbreak.

19. Minnesota Wild- Noah Ostlund, a great 200ft player that brings energy to the team, highly skilled with the puck, will need to add more strength.

20. Washington Capitals- Nathan Gaucher, is a very skilled player who can play on the PK and PP as he scored five PK goals this year and five PP goals. Great at faceoffs, and with Backstrom's status unknown, he can be a great centerman in the future.

21. Pittsburgh Penguins- Brad Lambert, the biggest wildcard player in the first round, he’s been very inconsistent, but his speed and the way he can create space is definitely something nice to see from the kid.

22. Anaheim Ducks- Danila Yurov, was pretty good in the KHL after a 36-point season in 23 games but was very streaky. Taking a chance on him wouldn't be a bad thing with the 22nd pick.

23. St. Louis Blues- Jimmy Snuggerud, fast skater with tremendous upside. His offense is top-notch compared to others in this draft.

24. Minnesota Wild- Lane Hutson, could compare him to fellow wild prospect Calen Addison, both offensive threat type players but sought out to be undersized. Although Lane is 5-8, he is expected to continue growing, but must hit the weight room if to be dominant.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs- Lian Bichsel, a big body defenceman the Maple Leafs can use, isn’t known for getting on the score sheet a lot, but he is someone who can get back on D even if he gets caught in the offensive zone thanks so his excellent mobility.

26. Montreal Canadiens- Luca Del Bel Belluz, after selecting Wright, why not add more to your center depth, Luca is a great skater with solid puck control and some quick hands. Another 200ft player taken in the draft.

27. Arizona Coyotes- Liam Ohgren, is a powerful player with speed and balance, he had 33 goals in 30 games, he could score with ease. Liam is strong on the forecheck and has a great work ethic.

28. Buffalo Sabers- Riegor Lorenz, scored 38 goals and won rookie of the year in the AJHL (Alberta Junior Hockey League). His play type is a power forward with some added speed and defensive thunder.

29. Edmonton Oilers- Juri Kulich, has a shoot-first mentality and will do whatever it takes to score the puck.

30. Winnipeg Jets- Rutger Mcgroarty, has leadership under his belt already, leading his team NTDP U-18 team, already has an NHL-ready shot but needs to add more physicality to his repertoire.

31. Tampa Bay Lighting- Tristan Luneau, losing Mcdonagh hurts them, but adding Luneau to be a part of their future D-core loosens the blow

32. Arizona Coyotes- Noah Warren, Noah is 6-5 224 who can lay the body and has speed, the Coyotes can use a guy like him in the system, and should be in the NHL in the next couple of years.