1 | | - | | His relatively low production might be an indicator of how much 2022 and 2023 draft candidates from OHL were hit by lockdowns. Safe pick. |
2 | | - | | Great performances in international tournaments. Since Olympics also better in Liiga. Rare combination of size and skill, which comes across once per draft or even less (2023: Fantilli). |
3 | | - | | Dilemma Nemec-Jiricek is similar to Heiskanen-Makar one in 2017, where Nemec is the safer pick of the two („Heiskanen“). Compare Nemec to Brandt Clarke's 2020/21 season. Slovakian league is not top-tier, but WC performance matter. |
4 | | - | | I am not trying to take anything away from Cooley, but he is smaller player and at the same time scoring-wise not dominant on his own team. I can get similar player a year later, 2023 class is forward-loaded. If I am GM of a rebuilding team, I select Jiricek here. D-men need more time and are more important. |
5 | | - | | You want to have him on your team in a playoffs. But because of his style of play you might only get 60 GP out of him per season. In that aspect I compare him to Ekblad. I would love to have Jiricek at no. 2 or 3, but that would be too risky. No. 4 or 5 is OK. |
6 | | | | His projection as NHL player looks easy. Big forward, possibly center, good goal-scorer, committed to college with good hockey program (Boston). At times his skating has been described as questionable, which it is not. |
7 | | - | | Another player with easy projection as NHL player. Strong on his legs, decent size and production. In many aspects similar to Sergachev. Similar production in draft year, where Sergachev was younger, but on a good team. |
8 | | - | | Riskier pick than Mintyukov, but with higher upside. He has some disadvantages as a consequence of worse leg strenght, which is relatively easy to overcome. June birthday, he has grown a lot over the past year. |
9 | | - | | I admit drafting him would make me nervous. His overall Liiga production is great, but since the injury he wasn't the same player. Not great shot selection and small stature, but he can be inventive with his shot. |
10 | | - | | He became better as the season came to the end. His play away from the puck is now better, he managed to produce in SHL playoffs. Scouting Combine Testing suggests his legs are NHL-ready. |
11 | | - | | Excellent skater, but very risky pick. He is high because I don't see class as very strong. His production on both Liiga teams wasn't great, despite playing with pedestrian linemates. His puck-carrying alone makes him interesting pick. |
12 | | - | | Creative player many fans are high on. I am cautious about Marner comparisons. In his draft year Marner was head and shoulder above his older teammates on a strong team. Nazar is also slightly shorter, which means extra risk. |
13 | | - | | One of the more NHL-ready players of the draft class. But I am taking his production with a grain of salt. He is on a strong team and in a playoffs overshadowed by more than one teammate, including 2023 eligible player (Benson). |
14 | | - | | A player who posses quality that is hard to measure. He can carry his team in a playoffs with clutch performances, especially when in troubles and in goal deficit. He can create offense by himself if he needs to. August birthday. |
15 | | - | | As captain he apparently has played in WJC with leg injury. That's a character/personality you are looking for. |
16 | | | | Excellent sniper with suspect hockey sense and light frame. 2 red flags combined are a lot. |
17 | | - | | Lumberjack on a skates. High pick for almost exclusively defensive D-man, but he hits adult men hard. |
18 | | - | | USA U-18 captain who will find his way to NHL. But the question is his upside. |
19 | | - | | He is just an average forward on his team. There are cheaper options for big C. |
20 | | - | | I just can't overlook he was NTDP's top scorer on every front (USDP, USHL and WJC). |
21 | | - | | Very active player every shift. I just can't be sure if his style can be directly transformed to NHL. |
22 | | | | Disastrous 2nd half of a season. He did nothing to earn more ice time in the KHL. |
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