1 | | - | | Future No. 1 center who you want out on the ice in the last minute of play whether you're up a goal or down a goal.
Complete player with a powerful stride that helps him push play up ice.
Remarkable intelligence. Great shot. Elite playmaking.
Draft year production is not what it was supposed to be.
Center. |
2 | | - | | Combines speed and smarts to create turnovers and burn opponents.
Gifted skater with top-notched acceleration.
Constant dual threat, dangerous shooting and playmaking.
Still has some growing to do, expect another pop in his skate when he does.
Center. |
3 | | - | | Big, strong frame. Soft hands, quick feet and a good passer. Excels in the O-Zone and reads the play well.
Olympics MVP at age 17.
Left Wing. |
4 | | - | | Best in class hockey IQ.
Excellent poise and confidence with the puck. Excellent creativity and puck moving ability. Plays physical.
Needs to adjust to high speed play.
Right Defense. |
5 | | - | | Very skilled. Very quick.
Intense battle level that makes up for small frame (5' 9").
Knows how to find and create space for both himself and his teammates.
Extremely quick hands and very deceptive. Ability to handle the puck at top speed is excellent.
Consistently dictates the pace of play.
Center/Right Wing. |
6 | | - | | High level of intensity and mobility. Powerful shot from the point. Excellent two-way ability. Knows how to use his size and long reach. Physicality is a big part of his game.
Skating is not elite.
Right Defense. |
7 | | - | | Outstanding shot. Doesn't shy away from physicality. Very strong playmaker. Energetic, well rounded offensive talent.
Lack of production after coming back from a shoulder injury is a concern.
Right Wing. |
8 | | | | Pushes the pace of the game. Ability to make plays under pressure stands out. Smooth skater with amazing speed. Lightning quick in transition. No problem going end-to-end. Strong playmaker, extremely good at protecting the puck. Pro size and skill. Plenty of offensive talent despite lack of KHL production.
His shot could be more versatile.
Right Wing. |
9 | | - | | Excellent skater. Very good hands. High offensive hockey IQ. Very creative with the puck.
Was supposed to be a top 3 pick in this draft but inconsistent production in his draft year and concerns about his play away from the puck has really tanked his stock. Has very apparent skill but hasn't been able to put it all together.
Center/Right Wing. |
10 | | - | | Future skilled power forward. Skill is obvious, power forward part will come later. Puck skills, shot and offensive awareness are very good. High-end hockey sense and capitalizes on mistakes well. Seen as more of a long-term project. Nicknamed "The Big Rig".
Consistency and skating are his biggest weaknesses.
Center. |
11 | | - | | Shifty and versatile. Plays at a high pace. Skating is his best asset. Extremely competitive in both ends of the ice. Combination of hands and feet work well to create space.
May take longer than his peers to reach his full potential.
Center/Right Wing. |
12 | | - | | Elite finishing, amazing shot. Powerful release, even better accuracy. Patient. Offensive dynamo. Power play specialist. Very strong skater.
Plays hard in the offensive zone but could stand to bring that effort into his own end.
Center/Right Wing. |
13 | | - | | Versatile and great on the PK. Lethal shot, good size (6' 2"). Standout tool is his shot. Works hard off the puck. USNTDP top goal scorer by a wide margin. Good in his own zone. Excels at separating a player from the puck to gain possession. Excellent pace. Tends to drive the net.
Probably not a game-breaking talent but more likely a solid complimentary player. |
14 | | - | | All-around defender with incredible strength. IQ, positioning and awareness makes him a very reliable defender in all three zones. Powerful stride, booming physical presence. Consistent ability to separate attackers from the puck. Defends the rush very well. Very strong decision-making, even under pressure.
May not have the offensive upside of other defensemen in this draft.
Right Defense. |
15 | | - | | Offensive zone player. Some of the best hands and instincts in the draft. Insanely quick release. Great position. Strong at protecting the puck in the offensive end. Draws a lot of penalties. Very creative.
Not the fastest skater. His defensive game leaves something to be desired.
Left Wing. |
16 | | - | | Oozes raw talent, skating skill, vision, deception and offensively talented. Can lead a rush. Good breakout passes. Potential to be one of the highest scoring defensemen from this draft.
Defensive side is still a work in progress although he does have the ability to deny entries and break up plays.
Left Defense. |
17 | | | | A pain to play against. Big player who plays down low and finishes well in tight. Extremely agile and fast. High level of creativity. Doesn't panic. High effort player.
May not fit into a top 6 or top line role.
Center. |
18 | | - | | World class shot. High level of intensity and compete. Quick wrist shots, powerful one-timers. Can beat goalies from a distance. Good below the goal line. Makes a lot of high to low plays.
Right Wing. |
19 | | - | | Hybrid between a skilled player and a power forward. Effective in the faceoff circle and on the PK. Good along the boards, though in front of the net. Big (6' 3") and strong. Great two way ability. Dominates puck battles. Quick speed and good edgework.
Center/Right Wing. |
20 | | - | | Very high pace. Tenacious. High-end playmaker with a good shot. Quick release.
Excellent with the puck due to his stand-out creativity. Calm and patient. Good at protecting the puck.
Can make difficult plays look easy.
Left Wing. |
21 | | - | | Fast skater. Quick release. Good edgework and acceleration. Controls the puck well. High skill.
May not have game-breaking offensive dimensions. Small (5' 10").
Right Wing/Center. |
22 | | - | | Good puck mover. Good at denying entries and breaking plays up. Great skater.
Can appear out of place in his own zone. Struggles to win puck battles.
Right Defense. |
23 | | - | | Incredible speed and a wicked release. Drives the net and has the ability to shield and protect the puck. Power-play upside.
One of the best shots in class, second to Wright. Strong skater and handles the puck well.
Top 10 talent but recently diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma and will take time away from hockey during treatment.
Could show more consistent effort in backchecking.
Left Wing. |
24 | | - | | High-end offensive arsenal. Great puck skills. Deceptive passer. Powerful one-timer. Standout performance in the Hlinka-Gretzky cup.
Will apparently be affected by the whole Russia boycott thing.
Left Wing. |
25 | | - | | Good at distributing and moving the puck. Reads and anticipates the play at a high level. Exceptional pace and movement. Skating is his standout tool.
Transitional defenseman with unrealized offensive potential. He is not very dynamic.
Left Defense. |
26 | | | | Good hockey sense. Good compete level. Plays at a high pace. Balanced offensively.
Not a great skater.
Center/Left Wing. |
27 | | - | | Blends elite skating ability with good vision and intelligent reads to drive play from the back end. Versatile. Smooth transitional player. One of the best skaters in the draft. Walks the blue line very well. Looks to jump in on the rush offensively. Good at forcing turnovers. Leads the transition game.
Left Defense. |
28 | | - | | Huge defenseman (6' 7") with excellent reach. Imposing physically. Wins puck battles with ease. Likes to shoot low to create rebounds. Skating is surprisingly good for his size (not very agile though).
Leaves a lot to be desired offensively. Gap control needs work. Can be too passive. Needs to work on breakouts (long passes can be inaccurate).
Right Defense. |
29 | | | | Diligent two-way center. Skates well. Excellent hands. Great poise under pressure. Can be a good backdoor distributor.
Most likely a middle 6 NHL player.
Doesn't have star power.
Center. |
30 | | | | Good shooter and playmaker. Good vision. Patient. Can thread the needle with a pass. Good defensive game. Great reach. Wins battles in the slot in the defensive end. Effort is there defensively.
Needs to use his size (6' 3") to engage more physically. Skating needs improvement but he has already taken strides in that area.
Center. |
31 | | | | Skill and offensive creativity stand out. Can make flashy plays. Great in one-on-ones with the puck. Can generate chances off the perimeter. Good shooter. Flashes of NHL level distributing.
Center/Left Wing. |
32 | | | | Smart offensive player. Good size (6' 2"). Good playmaking ability. Middle six NHL upside.
Needs to add pace and improve his game without the puck.
Center. |