My NHL 2022 draft rankings

1. Simon Nemec

Now I know most of you will find this surprising considering how Shane Wright and Logan Cooley have been the consensus top 2 players in most draft rankings thus far, but the level of production Nemec has shown over the past two years in a men's league as a defenseman(although not the strongest league) should not go unnoticed. To me he is the safest bet to be a star in this league. I doubt Hughes and Gorton will draft him if we get the 1st overall pick but I seriously think they should consider it.

Draft comps: Rasmus Dahlin, Roman Josi, John Carlson.

Similar production in Draft Year: No one has put up numbers as good as him in the Slovak league like ever. Tomas Tatar (Forward) put up only 15 points in 48 games in his draft year. I believe the Slovak league is underrated and is the reason why he's not as highly regarded as others.

2. Shane Wright

He's been the clear no. 1 prospect for a couple years now but has not been as dominant in the OHL as he should be. He has been red hot recently but his lack of prowess in the 2 games he played in the WJC and the start of his OHL season have set up enough doubts in my mind to remove him from that top spot. I believe he will be a star in this league but it'll take him at least 3-4 years after he's drafted.

Draft comps: Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, Ryan O'Reilly, Nick Suzuki.

Similar production in Draft Year: Sean Monahan, Nick Suzuki, John Tavares.

3. Logan Cooley

To me, Logan Cooley and Shane Wright are pretty close to each other and Wright's rated higher mostly based on reputation. Cooley is a very smart player with great speed and great instincts on both sides of the ice. I believe there is a strong chance he could be the best forward or even player of this class.

Draft comps: Brayden Point, Matthew Barzal.

Similar production in draft year: Trevor Zegras, Jaden Schwartz.

Not many centers have had similar production to Cooley in their draft year but I think he's eerily similar to Trevor Zegras with better defensive play.

4. Frank Nazar

The most underrated player in this draft class in my opinion. His production has been steady and very good. He's high energy and has lots of skills and speed. I'm shocked he's so low on a lot of boards but then again his size might be the concern. He's probably the best skater in this draft. He has no weaknesses offensively, good scorer and playmaker while also being a reliable defender. He plays both PP and PK.

Draft comps: Matt Barzal, Jordan Kyrou.

Similar production in draft year: Matthew Tkachuk, Trevor Zegras, Matt Boldy,

5. Juraj Slafkovsky

He's huge: 6'4 225. He's great at forechecking and has surprisingly good puck handling and playmaking. He scores goals. He's underrated defensively as well. He needs to work on his skating which is one of the hardest things to improve. I doubt he'll become a star player but he should have a good impact in a top 6. I was a bit low on him before the Olympics but he showed great improvement from the beginning of the season. I think he still has another gear to unlock and is more of a project. His style should translate well to the NHL but his production has not been there except for the Olympics.

Draft comps: Jamie Benn, Anders Lee, Tom Wilson, Blake Wheeler.

Similar production in draft year: Roope Hintz, Teuvo Teravainen.

6. Matthew Savoie

7. Joakim Kemell

8. David Jiricek

9. Brad Lambert

10. Conor Geekie

In conclusion, these are my 5 favorite prospects for our first pick in this draft. Let me know what you think as well as your own rankings.