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Sporting News is teaming up with all season long to bring you the most in-depth NHL draft coverage you'll find anywhere. With big boards, mock drafts, scouting reports,and more, we'll keep you updated on all of the latest intel powered byFCHockey's draft analysts and insiders. The calendar has flipped to December. After a rough couple of months to open the NHL season, some fanbases might flip their attention to the NHL Draft, too. For every lost season comes hope in the form of top draft picks and the allure of the next great player. There is plenty of movement on FCHockey's big board since Shane Wright, one of few to hold his same position in the first round, remains the top prospect and consensus No. 1 for the 2022 draft. Wright has been a trending topic in the NHL Draft world since the start of the Ontario Ivica Zubac Jersey Hockey League season, and he maintains a firm grasp on our top spot despite a rather underwhelming start to his season. The changes begin just below Wright, with the WHLs Matthew Savoie rising four spots into the No. 2 spot. The forward has stood out in the eyes of the Western Canada scouts and looks to have separated himself from the rest of the pack. With all the movement within this ranking since the preliminary edition released on October 1, the regional changes are just as interesting. MORE: The American, Ru sian, Finnishand Swedish regions all have new top players since our initial release. Logan Cooley, Danila Yurov, Joakim Kemelland Marco Kasper have not only usurped the previous top prospects in their regions, but the gap looks to be growing fairly significantly already. Finally, there are five new names on FCHockeys top-32 board, with Filip Mesar, Filip Bystedt, Liam Ohgren, Gleb Trikozovand Kevin Korchinski pushing up into the first-round consideration. Were still seven months away from the 2022 NHL Draftbut theres a slate of exciting hockey on the schedule between now and then, including the 2022 World Junior Championships later this month. This list will continue to evolve between now and the July 7 draft in Montreal but in the meantime, heres how we seethe top of the 2022 cla s. NHL Draft prospects 2022: Big board of top 32 players Previous Rank: 1 (-) As mentioned, Wright's hold on this spot seems to have been called into question over his first two months of the season due to a slower start thanexpected. However, the top prospect picked it up towards the end of Novemberand seems to be finding his groove. Lets not forget that he, and most other OHLers, are playing their first hockey at this level in well over a year. Wright continues to demonstrate remarkable intelligence and a top shelfshot while showing off consistentlyeliteplaymaking. Previous Rank: 6 (+4) The first riser of the ranking, Matthew Savoie has been on fire in the WHL at nearly a two-point-per-game pace. What many expected of Wright in the OHL, Savoie is delivering out west. He is playing on a very strong Winnipeg ICE club and has been the top player on the team to start the season. He exudes confidence and excels at driving the play, consistently dictatingthe pace of the play. Savoie's ability to handle the puck at top speed is excellent. Not only has he leapfrogged over some of the other top prospects in this cla s, but Savoie is closing the gap on Wright and could threaten him atop this list with more stellar play. Previous Rank: 2 (-1) Holding on to the spot as the top defender in the cla s, Simon Nemec is an offensive defenseman that has shown promising strides in his own end early in the season. While he can wow you with his puck-moving ability both with his feet and in his pa sing his defensive awarene s and the decision-making in his own end have already shown improvement to start the year. Theres an excellent amount of creativity in his game for a defender and he doesnt shy away from physicality despite playing against men. His drop one spot is le s a slight against him and more about the play of Savoie to start the year. Previous Rank: 5 (+1) Theres a new Ru sian king in FCHockeys rankings. In the Preliminary ranking, the fight for the top spot was a long discu sion with FCHockeys scouts with Danila Yurov falling second. In these rankings, the only option was Yurov. While we have yet to truly see his capabilities at the KHL level due to extremely limited minutes through his 19 games, his play internationally and in the MHL are more than enough to convince FCHockeys scouts. His competitivene s and two-way ability make him a very promising prospect. Previous Rank: 12 (+7) Following a new top Ru sian, theres a new top American in the rankings, and hes the biggest riser in FCHockeys top-10. Logan Cooley has been the top player for the United States National Team Development Program this season thanks to his strong skating and his dynamic offensive play. Both his playmaking and shooting are dangerous, making him a constant dual offensive threat. He can more than handle himself in the defensive end as well, as a truly well-rounded prospect with a ton of upside. Dont be surprised to see him continue to climb rankings as the 2022 NHL Draft draws near. Previous Rank: 10 (+4) The hottest draft-eligible prospect in the world through the start of the 2021-22 season looks to Finnish forward Joakim Kemell. Thanks to his fiery start, the winger has leapfrogged over a fellow countryman as the top Finn available in the cla s. Kemell has started his first season in the Liiga at over a point-per-game pace and is shooting up draft boards. Hes a well-rounded offensive talent that can bury you with a pretty goal or highlight-reel a sist. He could continue to rise up this list as the season rolls on. Previous Rank: 4 (-3) While Ivan Mirochnichenko may have slid back a few spots in FCHockeys ranking, its le s of a slight against him and more of a recognition of the improvements from those that have pa sed over him. Hes an exceptional offensive talent with one of the best shots in this cla s, po sibly second only to Wright. Hes a strong skater and handles the puck well, but could stand to show some more consistent effort on the backcheck and in his own zone. Previous Rank: 3 (-5) Once considered the lone challenger to Wright for the top spot, Brad Lambert has not taken the step forward this season that scouts were hoping for. While the high-end skill level is still very much apparent, Lambert hasnt been able to put it all together, resulting in le s-than-expected production. His off-puck play has left some to be desired. Theres still a lot of season left, so Lambert could creep back up this list, but hell need to really step his game up to do it. Previous Rank: 7 (-2) Big Slovak forward Juraj Slafkovsky has been bouncing between the U20 SM-sarja and the Liiga, starting to see more and more time in the top league. On top of his NHL-ready size, the forward has the strength to go with it yet quick feet and soft hands that you might not expect from a 6-foot-4, 225-pound skater. He excels in the offensive end, reading the lanes well and finding his teammates with crisp pa sing. His shot selection and accuracy could improve, but he remains a top-10 prospect. Previous Rank: 8 (-2) Rutger McGroarty might no longer be the top American on FCHockeys draft board, but the top prospect remains a top-10 contender. An extremely intelligent player with great competitivene s, McGroarty has been known for his ability to score goals and rack up points and hes continued to do that with the National Team Development Program. Hes been showing off his playmaking more and more, putting his excellent vision on display game in and game out. Previous Rank: 9 (-2) Conor Geekies play seems to have slightly trailed off in recent weeks, leaving him as the lone prospect to fall out of the top-10 in this update. However, Savoies teammate remains a very promising prospect thanks to his high-end hockey sense and his ability to take advantage and capitalize on opponents mistakes. His effort level has wavered through November and his skating needs some improvement but he will need to show more consistency or risk sliding further. Previous Rank: 21 (+9) One of the bigger risers within the first round of FCHockeys latest ranking, Frank Nazar has quickly become a scouting favorite player in this cla s. His relentle s motor makes it hard to peel your eye from him when hes on the ice. He battles hard, showing strong efforts in both ends of the rink. This is aided by his strong skating, allowing him to win a great number of races to the puck. Hes also very impre sive with the puck on his stick, prote Kawhi Leonard Jersey |
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