NHL Draft Top 32 - 17-32
As with any draft, after the top 15 selections is where drafts can be won or lost. With multiple teams holding 3+ picks in the first 2 round, hitting on both an early pick and late pick of the first round could change an NHL franchise very quickly.
Check out our ranked prospects 17-32, including scoutingnotes and video highlights!
17) Denton Mateychuk - LHD - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
A cousin of Owen Pickering, Mateychuk is also an offensive-minded defenseman but with a completely different body type. The 5’11 Mateychuk’s best attribute is probably his skating. He possesses an explosive stride, excellent edgework, and has the agility and elusiveness to break ankles.
Forwards covering him at the point need to be extra careful or they’ll end up in his highlight reel as he masterfully shakes them to create a mini odd man situation. He also has a great work ethic, and despite being a bit smaller has no issues going hard to the dirty areas or taking a hit to make a play. Where he struggles is off the puck, mainly keeping his focus and discipline in his positioning.
Denton can go for a skate way too often, leaving his D partner out to dry. If he can learn to cut down his bad habits without the puck he’ll be a very valuable piece on the backend.
18) Kevin Korchinski - LHD - Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Korchinski is one of the more unique prospects in this draft. His best and most noticeable attribute is his poise under pressure. There might not be a better defenseman in the class at sucking in a forechecker only to easily beat him up the ice and create an opportunity on the rush. His ability to evade the forecheck and connect with a homerun pass or carry the puck himself is the main reason he posted 74 assists in the regular season and playoffs this year, despite really not having any high end offensive skills. In the offensive zone he’s fairly pedestrian, his shot is just okay and he doesn’t seem to have the same vision or creativity once he gets inside the blue line. Korchinski is a transition specialist, but one whose upside is enough that he can still be a very interesting prospect.
19) Liam Öhgren - LW - Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
Öhgren was the most prolific goal scorer in the Swedish J20 league, leading the way with 33 goals while playing around 60% of the games in that league. Liam has elite offensive instincts, makes excellent passes, and can really shoot the puck. He also loves to push the pace and plays the game with a lot of energy. Away from the puck he seemingly lacks a bit of confidence and tries too hard to not make a mistake. While he was excellent against his own age group, he was hard to find in a lot of games at the SHL level. Öhgren looks like a player who should be able to score at the NHL level and provide energy, but he’s still a few years away. He’ll be expected to be a big part of Djurgårdens push to be promoted back to the SHL in 2023.
20) Jiří Kulich - C - HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czech Extraliga)
Kulich is a direct, 200 foot center who plays a pro style. In his first full season in the Extraliga, he scored 9 goals on a poor team before dropping down to Karlovy Vary’s U20 team and torching the playoffs. Kulich’s skating is his standout ability, he loves to play with pace and carry the puck end to end. He forechecks and backchecks hard, and his feet are good enough that he’s never out of a play. Jiří’s coming out party, if you will, was really at the U18s where he had 11 points over 6 games and dominated Canada with a hat trick.
All three of his goals in that game were on the power play, but he showed off his rocket of a shot and proved he can be a force offensively if given the chance. Kulich will need to add some strength, but as he grows and gets more comfortable in senior league he should develop into a really nice player.
21) Isaac Howard - LW - USNTDP
Commit : Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth
Isaac Howard is a winger with just above average physical tools but a really great sense of the game, particularly offensively. He might not burn defenders with his speed, but he’s a master at throwing headfakes and feints to get the opposition off balance and second-guessing themselves.
Off the puck he does an excellent job of getting lost in traffic and then popping out behind defensemen, where he can receive a pass down low and create a scoring chance. He’s a creative and dynamic offensive threat with the puck–he’ll attempt a pass through the tightest of windows, or sell pass all the way before rifling a no-look shot over the goalie’s shoulder. Isaac will need to take care of pucks better as he gets to college and eventually pro hockey, but you don’t want to take the creativity out of his game either.
22) Jagger Firkus - RW - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Jagger Firkus was named the MVP of the 2022 CHL Top Prospects Game, scoring an outrageous goal and setting up another. If there was ever a player who embodied the mentality of “shoot first, ask questions later” it’s Firkus. Jagger is on the smaller side, but is a speedy and shifty skater who possesses an elite wrist shot and good puck skills to go along with it. He does an excellent job finding space in the offensive zone to set up and receive a pass, and he knows when to attack with speed and when to slow things down. His shot comes off the blade in an instant and is tough to deal with. The main issue with his offensive game is that it’s just a bit too predictable–he will almost always look to cut inside on either wing before rifling a puck towards the net. His improvement year over year and a strong playoff performance give hope that he can keep developing into a scorer at the next level.
23) Jimmy Snuggerud - RW - USNTDP
Commit : Univ. of Minnesota
There is essentially no flash to Jimmy Snuggerud’s game, but there probably isn’t a single player in this draft who understands what he’s going to be at the next level as well as he does. At 6’2, 185 pounds, Snuggerud is still growing into his body but has serious man strength. He is an excellent forechecker, strong in the dirty areas, and really makes himself tough to play against.
Defensively he’s always in the right position to make a play a quickly transition defense to offense. His offensive skills won’t win any awards, but he does have a hard shot and a deceptive release–his goal in the USHL Top Prospects game was a perfect example. He plays smart and is always looking to make a positive play. The future Gopher also seemed to play much better against NCAA competition than USHL competition, almost like he finds an extra gear when the games get faster and tighter. Snuggerud seems like a player every coach would love to have on their team.
24) Filip Mešár - RW - HK Poprad (Slovak Extraliga)
The first thing that anyone will notice when they watch Filip Mešár play is likely his skating. He has quick feet and can explode from a complete stand-still. He’s an aggressive pest without the puck and will be irritating to play against for years. Offensively he’s productive, but the question is whether or not his offensive skills really translate to the NHL.
His offensive instincts are definitely questionable–he has a tendency to either hold onto pucks for way too long or force bad passes under pressure. He has a good but not great shot, and very rarely makes an intelligent, chance-creating pass. He does seem do a good job of just being a nuisance down low and in front of the net though, which is a valuable talent. Mešár may not ever play a top-six role in the NHL, but his feet and motor will likely get him in the league at some point.
25) David Goyette - C - Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
There’s a very real possibility that David Goyette is the most creative forward in this entire draft class. He’s a human highlight reel, the type of player that will drop your jaw at least once per night with a play he either pulls off, or fails spectacularly on. He has elite puck skill, elite vision, and a finishing touch as good as anyone.
Goyette plays the game with a serious amount of swagger and nonchalance, almost like it’s below him at times, though his coaches and teammates will tell you he is one of the hardest workers in the league. He thrives on the rush–one NHL scout told me he’s probably the best player in transition in the entire class–and when defenders are forced out of their comfort zone he knows exactly what play to make to create a scoring chance. He also lives on the perimeter and is very hesitant to get involved physically. He doesn’t like to take a hit to make a play and his work rate is inconsistent, to put it lightly.
But in the modern NHL where players like Trevor Zegras are revolutionizing how things are done, a player like David Goyette becomes far more plausible.
26) Rutger McGroarty - C - USNTDP
Commit : University of Michigan
McGroarty is a strong power forward who brings a goal-scoring touch and great leadership qualities to whatever team he plays for. He has a big shot and anticipates play excellently, knowing exactly when to drive the net or when to pull back and make himself available for a one-timer. His hands are soft for a big man and he’ll occasionally walk some very good defenders.
Below the goal line he’s a force to be reckoned with and he will win a ton of puck battles in his career with his strength and determination. Rutger’s skating will likely be an issue for him as he keeps moving up the ladder, he lacks the speed to push play and the agility to beat defenders. He’ll have to rely on his strength, hockey sense, and work ethic to create scoring chances in the NHL, but he has enough in those departments that he has a very strong chance of getting there.
27) Dmitri Buchelnikov - RW - SKA St. Petersburg (MHL)
Buchelnikov is the only player on the list who was passed over in the 2021 NHL draft, but as a September-born 2003 who has taken a massive leap he deserves to be included here. Dmitri is a high-octane all-offense winger who is one of the most entertaining players to watch.
His 41 goals were 2nd in the MHL, and he scored them in a wide variety of ways. He has a surprisingly big one-timer, a heavy wrist shot, and great hands in tight. He can beat defenders with his hands, his feet, or just lowering his shoulder and taking them on physically. He’s not a big player at 5’10, but he’s fearless and plays every shift like it’s his last. Dmitri got injured 9 games into SKA’s playoff run, but was still good for 9 goals and 5 assists. As Buchelnikov continues to get stronger, he’s going to be a scary forward to play against.
28) Noah Östlund - C - Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
Like Goyette, Östlund is a player that relies heavily on his creativity to create scoring chances. There’s a lot to like about his game–he’s a forward that’s constantly looking to skate with the puck and create space for his linemates, and at the junior level he’s a master at it. His hands and playmaking ability are really impressive, he can make just about any pass on his forehand or backhand and at any speed.
He also is a master of deception, he’s maybe not an elite skater but he can use head-fakes and subtle moves to get defenders to bite one way before cutting back across the grain. There are issues in his game though that will have to be developed or he’ll be relegated to a life of putting up points in weaker European leagues.
Noah lacks the confidence or strength to play a physical game, and was far too timid when skating in the SHL against men. It’s why his numbers in the J20 league and in international competition have been solid, while he failed to score a point in 11 senior games. He also is very careless with the puck, and it seems like for every impressive and creative pass he turns another one over. Östlund feels like another boom/bust type of pick in this year’s draft.
29) Calle Odelius - LHD - Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
Odelius is one of the smartest, smoothest defensemen of the class. His skating is really impressive, with great four-way mobility and change of direction. There probably isn’t anyone better in this group at retrieving a dumped puck in his own end and then quickly and safely moving it up the ice to his forwards. He plays a sound, safe game in defense and has an active and impressive stick.
Calle isn’t much of a physical force, but he knows how to pressure forwards to make them uncomfortable and force turnovers. There isn’t a whole lot of offensive upside with Odelius, other than that he escapes pressure beautifully and always makes the smart play with the puck. At the end of the day, he’s a player that you watch and have a really hard time finding any actual flaws in his game. He won’t ever fit the idea of the prototypical defensive defenseman–big, mean, and tough around the net–but in the modern game that’s exactly what he can be.
30) Mattias Hävelid - RHD - Linköpings HC (SHL)
Hävelid is a player that has absolutely immense upside, but who many team executives would probably struggle to put their jobs on the line for. A 5’10 defenseman who is a good but not great skater is not an easy sell, but in Mattias’ case it might be worth the risk.
The most intriguing part of his toolkit is by far the hockey sense, which showed improvement when compared to limited viewings of him last season. Hävelid makes the correct read almost every time. He processes the game so well and knows when to handle the puck and try to create something, and when to recycle to his defensive partner or just shovel it down low. Defensively he makes the right read most of the time, but struggles with physical play. His father Niclas played nine seasons in the NHL though, so he’ll have the perfect mentor showing him what it takes to get there. Mattias is a project and a tougher projection, but one that really may be worth the wait.
31) Gleb Trikozov - C/RW - Omskie Yastreby (MHL)
Gleb is another polarizing player, but one whose skillset could allow him to flourish in the right environment. Despite being one of the younger players in the draft class he looked like a man amongst boys at times in the MHL, dipping his shoulder and driving right through defenders like they’re hardly there. He has the ability to pick up the puck and go coast to coast with ease, with his powerful stride and ability to fight through contact. Understanding what to do with the puck when he gets it in the offensive zone is still a work in progress, though.
At times he looks like a dynamic playmaker, at times he’s throwing passes blindly into no man’s land. His shot is good but not great, and he’s not a player who is going to offer a ton when he isn’t scoring. His 12 game stint in the VHL was underwhelming, but his playoff run was outstanding. Gleb is high risk, high reward, and might be a great choice for a team with multiple picks in the first round.
32) Lian Bichsel - LHD - Leksands IF (SHL)
Bichsel is a project player, plain and simple, but one who has a ton of intriguing tools that help him stand out. The 6’5, 220 pound Swiss defender was primarily used against the weaker teams in the SHL, but did play over 20 minutes on two occasions in the league, which is extremely impressive for a player in his draft year. Lian is a strong skater and plays tough. He can use his long reach to break up plays, or more often than not take the extra stride towards someone and flatten them. He may not always make the right decision defensively, but right now he’s making the ones that cause the most pain. He won’t provide a ton of offense and he isn’t the most intelligent defender on earth, but his physical attributes are pretty special and he’ll be given every opportunity to thrive.
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