NHL

Round One of the NHL Draft delivers the most theater, but rounds two through seven are often where NHL scouts earn their paychecks. Most of obvious future.

He's not a masterful distributor of the puck, but he is a critical thinker and makes smart low- and medium-risk passes. He breaks up a number of plays in the neutral zone. He's likely not going to quarterback at higher levels of hockey, but when he has the puck on his stick, he manages to connect with teammates in impressive and unsuspecting ways. As good as his passing outlets out of the defensive zone are, he'd be so much more effective if he could carry the puck up ice and through the neutral zone with speed. He shows good awareness for when to try to make a play by himself versus when to incorporate his linemates, but he doesn't have the high-end vision or hands to repeatedly unlock defenses. He can get in lanes but is generally overwhelmed, and he's also an easy target for puck-carriers in the neutral zone. He defends well with his stick to break up plays, and his ability to retrieve pucks behind the goal line and skate them out of danger will put a dent in the opposition's ability to put him in difficult positions. He has one of the best shots in the draft. There may be other players available who offer the dream of a future star that Chesley does not, but the trade-off is that he is a solid bet to make the NHL and is more likely to hit his upside. He has decent puck skills, but at the NHL level, he's going to be more of a participant in the offensive zone rather than a difference-maker. He is one of the best " 10-to-2" skaters in the draft. He defends well around the net, boxing out forwards and allowing the goaltender a sightline to the puck.

Details on the Avalanche's picks ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft that begins on Thursday night in Montreal.

While Colorado only has four picks heading into this year's draft, the experience itself will still be exciting as it's the first in-person draft in two years and the Stanley Cup will be present for the Avalanche's front office and Head Coach Jared Bednar, who will all be in attendance to show off. Ahead of last year's regular season, the team acquired goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for their first-round pick (No. 32), defenseman Conor Timmins and 2024 third-round pick. All selections are subject to trade pending any trades that could ensue.

The Chicago Blackhawks came into the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on Thursday with no first-round picks. By the time general manager Kyle ...

"We're still going to have a team that loves to play for the city of Chicago and that loves to wear that Blackhawks sweater and is going to bring it every night." He is committed to the University of Minnesota for next season. The 18-year-old then had 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 25 playoff games. He will attend the University of Michigan in the fall. He had 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 70 games this season. But to get the first two, they had to give up young forwards Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach.

MONTREAL - Two players representing the University of Minnesota men's hockey program were selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft Thursday ...

*Snuggerud and his father, Dave, an All-American for Minnesota in 1989 after being a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 1987, become the sixth father/son duo in program history that were both drafted. The Coyotes have picked Minnesota-bound players in back-to-back years in Cooley and fellow incoming freshman Cal Thomas, a 2021 sixth-round selection. - Two players representing the University of Minnesota men's hockey program were selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft Thursday night. Snuggerud tallied 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 59 games for the NTDP in 2021-22, including seven power play goals. Cooley is the second-highest draft pick in Minnesota program history and was the first American-born player off the board in 2022. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native is known as an elite skater and a two-way, playmaking center, and was No. 2 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

After Anaheim selected defenseman Pavel Mintyukov and center Nathan Gaucher in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft Thursday night in Montreal, ...

At the end of the day, we're looking for the best player there. It's a fun thing to go through for the kids drafted and for the parents. It's really great for the kids. There are lot of different scenarios that you have to work through at the draft and into free agency. We're looking for the skill, the hockey sense and the compete. Those are special skills and very hard to find, especially in defensemen.

Three Russian prospects were selected in the first round of the NHL draft despite increasing fears of their availability to play in North America due to ...

“I don’t want to say anything that could be misconstrued or cause an inflammation of a sensitive situation,” he added. He reiterated the NHL has issued no directives to teams over whether or not they can draft Russian players. Several agents who represent Russian players have declined comment, while NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman chose his words carefully when addressing the matter on Thursday. “The talent is undeniable,” Verbeek said shortly after making the selection on Thursday night. He’s a really good player,” MacLellan said. “Hopefully, it works out and we’ve got a really good player on our hands.”

"From the Slovakian national team …" Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said as he announced the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

"I asked him if he lived in a dorm," Hughes said. The fans already began embracing Slafkovsky about 90 minutes after his selection, when he walked up from the draft floor through the stands, then sat down for a TV interview in full view of the crowd. At least three wore T-shirts that said, "WRIGHT CHOICE," with the "C" made of the Canadiens logo. Hughes said the Canadiens didn't want to give up Romanov, a 22-year-old who averaged 20:24 in 79 games for them last season. "So, yeah, I will just think of getting better every second I'm living on this earth." Hughes said the Canadiens were leaning toward taking Slafkovsky on Wednesday morning but wanted to meet him once more. But if they reach their potential, they will be beloved in Montreal. Some booed Slafkovsky as he walked the red carpet Thursday. At least one wore a "Wright No. 51" Canadiens jersey in the arena. "Yeah, but actually, it meant something." Slafkovsky, ranked the No. 1 European skater by NHL Central Scouting, is a 6-foot-4, 229-pound power forward. "I didn't even hear my name," he said. He saw his face on the big screen and got goose bumps.

Scott Wheeler looks at how each team's scouting department fared against the selections they had on Day 1 of the 2022 NHL Draft.

It was fitting that the Ducks had 2021 No. 3 pick Mason McTavish make the Gaucher selection too, because while they’re both very different in terms of raw skill (McTavish is a cut above offensively and projects higher in a lineup), they’re both heavy, physically involved, hard-working players that are a lot a like in terms of build (strong and thick) and approach. But he’s on the older side of the draft and it’s a high-floor, low-ceiling play on a kid who I’m not convinced will have enough offence to his game to become more than up-and-down the lineup, push-and-pop upside. But I found him to be inconsistent in his approach this year (almost as if he was unsure if he was a power or finesse guy, and hadn’t yet grasped how he could best impact a game). His statistical profile doesn’t suggest first-round talent, either. He moves well for how heavy he is and can both outlet and handle the puck fairly well for his size too (he’s not passive with or without the puck, which is good). I don’t think his game has enough offence to warrant this selection but it’s possible he becomes a staunch top-four defenceman who can chip in here and there. Snuggerud is a well-rounded player who can do a little bit of everything offensively (he’s got a multi-faceted shot, I’ve seen him make NHL passes, he’s got pro size, and he makes smart reads and choices) and sticks with the play off the puck to get after it on the forecheck. I like the Mesar pick and it’s pretty darn cool that two lifelong friends (he and Slafkovsky are like brothers) get to stay together with the same pick. As such, teams with more picks (or higher picks on average) are not guaranteed high grades, just as teams with few picks (or lower picks on average) are not guaranteed poor ones. Rinzel’s a bit of a risk as a high school-developed kid, but like Korchinski, the upside is high and the tools are high-end. After an eventful first four picks, things started to settle in at No. 5 and No. 6. There wasn’t a player I enjoyed talking to in the 2020 class more than Cole Perfetti. There wasn’t a player in the 2021 class I enjoyed talking to more than Chaz Lucius. And there wasn’t a player I enjoyed talking to more in this age group than McGroarty. They’re different. What follows is my analysis of how each team’s scouting department fared against the selections they had, considering each prospect’s expected draft range, statistical profile, and my draft board. So welcome to the conclusion of my 2022 NHL Draft coverage.

Here's the complete list of Boston Bruins selections from all seven rounds of the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal.

At 19th overall, they nabbed a strong winger that most thought would not be there in Liam Ohgren. And with the 24th overall pick, they got a top-10 talent in ...

At 19th overall, they nabbed a strong winger that most thought would not be there in Liam Ohgren. And with the 24th overall pick, they got a top-10 talent in Danila Yurov, who only dropped due to potential complications overseas in Russia. The first round of the 2022 NHL Draft was last night and it was a otherworldly performance from Minnesota Wild amateur scouting director Judd Brackett and his crew. With those two massively important picks out of the way, the Wild have six more to make in rounds two through seven and it all starts this morning.

The Nashville Predators had six picks on Day 2 of the 2022 NHL Draft, starting with two in the third round. Here's who the franchise ended up selecting.

The stats: Sward registered 43 points (10 goals, 33 assists) in 57 games with the Spokane Chiefs during the 2021-22 regular season. He was first eligible for the NHL draft in 2020, but he didn't know that at the time. The stats: Ingram scored 26 goals and added 29 assists (55 points) in 54 USHL regular season appearances. He was an assistant captain for the Finland U-18 team (as was Preds first-round pick Joakim Kemell), racking up 18 points in 21 games of international play. The skinny: At 5-foot-11, Kemell was one of the smaller forwards in the draft. In his rookie season with JYP Jyväskylä, Kemell registered 23 points (15 goals, 8 assists) in 39 games.

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers in exchange for Colorado's ...

Zhigalov, hails from Minsk, Belarus, but has spent time playing over in Russia as well. With the final pick for the Avalanche and the final pick of the entire 2022 NHL Draft, Colorado selected netminder Zhigalov from the Sherbrooke Phoenix out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). After not having a pick in the 2022 NHL Draft until the sixth and seventh rounds, the Colorado Avalanche made two selections on Friday afternoon at Montreal's Bell Centre . The club selected defenseman Chris Romaine with the 193rd overall pick (sixth round) and goaltender Ivan Zhigalov with the 225th overall pick (seventh round).

The only way I can sanely and fairly go about this exercise is to assign grades based on which team added the most by way of draft picks to the organization. I ...

Jack Hughes in the most likely player here to play and I think he will, and in the later rounds there are a couple players I can buy having legit chances to make it. He’s a fine prospect but I just don’t see a guy you’re confident is going to play in the NHL. I think both Adam Sykora and Bryce McConell-Barker have legit chances to become NHL players, even if likely at the bottom of a lineup. If not, I don’t see a ton of quality depth in this group other than a couple of names I think have chances to make it. But if Yurov comes to Minnesota in a reasonable amount of time and is the player many think he can be, this will be a good draft for the Wild. I think Ryan Chesley is a good player and will help the Caps down the line. I don’t know as a Blues fan if you’re jumping up and down about this draft, but I like it to the extent that when I look at their first four picks in Jimmy Snuggerud, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Michael Buchinger and Arseni Koromyslov I can see the argument they could all play games. I think this draft will largely come down to how good Kasper is, and I think he will help the Wings a lot. I was a fan of their later swings too and see other picks here who have shots to make it. The Coyotes got the player with arguably the most upside in the draft in Logan Cooley. After that they went to work adding a lot of big guys who can play into their system. They started off by grabbing the best player in the draft in Juraj Slafkovsky. They then added highly skilled players in winger Filip Mesar and defenseman Lane Hutson, a two-way forward in Owen Beck, and with a high quantity of picks they selected various guys later on who I believe at least have a chance to play. The only way I can sanely and fairly go about this exercise is to assign grades based on which team added the most by way of draft picks to the organization.

Miroshnichenko's nine points during the tournament ranked tied for fourth among all skaters and his +7 plus/minus rating ranked tied for second. Miroshnichenko ...

Additionally, he is the 11thleft wing to be drafted by Washington in the first round and the first since Jakub Vrana (13th overall) in 2014. Miroshnichenko also represented Russia at the 2021 4 Nations Tournament, where he recorded two points (1g, 1a) in three games. The 6'1", 185-pound forward captained Russia to the gold medal at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he recorded nine points (4g, 5a) in five games.

NHL.com has the fantasy hockey spins on the biggest trades and top picks from the 2022 NHL Draft on July 7-8.

DeBrincat had an NHL career high in points (78 in 82 games; second on Chicago behind Patrick Kane's 92) and tied his best goal total (41) this season. With an elite offense (3.76 goals per game this season; fourth in NHL) and defense that includes Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Bowen Byram, Samuel Girard and Erik Johnson, Georgiev could have his best season yet in 2022-23. DeBrincat, who goes from a non-contending team in Chicago to an up-and-coming group in Ottawa, remains a top 50 overall fantasy player after the trade. He also had 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in five games for Canada at the 2021 U-18 World Junior Championship. Beniers had nine points (three goals, six assists), four on the power play, in his first 10 NHL games. Slafkovsky told NHL.com after being drafted on Thursday that he will do everything he can over the summer to prepare himself to play in the NHL next season.

With all 225 selections made -- and several captivating trades -- here are the key moments of the weekend that will shape the 2022-23 season and beyond.

He's matured and he's working hard to be a better person both on and off the ice." "The reality is we worked hard on a deal, but players have the ability when it's in their contract to make those decisions," Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said. "He's older, he's maturing and from all accounts he did a good job both on and off the ice last season." Except when that defenseman is Tony DeAngelo, and Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher has to spend the majority of his time explaining to the media and fans that this isn't going to bring a toxic cloud over Philadelphia. We are from Slovakia, and we represent the country, and I'm just happy that this happened to us." The eruption of joy that followed from DiVincentiis, his friends and family was such pure celebration of a long-awaited achievement. That was the return for a trade that didn't even really have to happen? It continued at the draft when two players from that team were taken first and second overall: Winger Slafkovsky at No. 1 to the Montreal Canadiens and defenseman Simon Nemec to the New Jersey Devils at No. 2. The Arizona Coyotes showed up to Montreal on a mission. Granted, Mrazek could return to form and have a terrific season for Chicago. At the moment though, the Blackhawks might have been fleeced. There's always a time and place for the classics. To have it in Montreal made the return to some semblance of normalcy even grander, and not just because NHL commissioner Gary Bettman delighted in egging on those fans that booed him every time he stepped to the podium.

The Bruins were aggressive in addressing their most glaring roster need, specifically offensively-skilled centers. We analyze each of Boston's picks from ...

The Senators are a good bet to be among the most-improved teams next season. Pare, who played for the Saint John Sea Dogs, never appeared in a game for the Bruins. The last center the Bruins drafted and developed who consistently played a top-six role was Krejci, and he was a 2004 second-round pick. The Canadiens took another Slovakian winger, Filip Mesar, at No. 27 overall in the first round. To put the Bruins' center depth into perspective, they are unlikely to contend in the Eastern Conference next season unless a 36-year-old (Bergeron) and 37-year-old (David Krejci) come back. He tallied 12 goals and 34 assists in 63 games for Rimouski last season. The Montreal Canadiens took Slovakian left winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the No. 1 overall pick. "We’re happy we attacked the middle of the ice, not necessarily by design, but that’s how it played out and we like all three players that play that position because of their creativity and offensive abilities and their growth," Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told reporters. It remains to be seen if the Bruins can develop these players into quality centers. In that time, Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar graduated from prospect to NHL players. The Bruins are not prepared at all for the eventual departure of captain Patrice Bergeron, whenever that time comes. This is an encouraging strategy given the league's shift over the last decade into a game where speed and skill are king.

In the fourth round of the 2022 NHL draft, the Detroit Red Wings used their three picks to add two forwards and a defenseman.

The 6-1, 174-pound winger played last season for Örebro HK, and amassed 21 goals and 22 assists over 38 regular season games. He wsa ranked 68th among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting in this year's draft class. With the 105th overall selection on Friday, the Wings picked Swedish defenseman Anton Johansson, an 18-year-old who played for Leksands IF's junior organization.

The Glencoe, Illinois native becomes the 92nd player in program history to be selected in the NHL Draft and the 45th in head coach Jeff Jackson's tenure. Ali is ...

- Ryder Rolston (Jr., F): Colorado Avalanche, fifth round/139th overall (2020) - Landon Slaggert (Jr., F): Chicago Blackhawks, third round/79th overall (2020) Ali is also the fifth Fighting Irish player to be selected by the Red Wings. He signed a NLI with the Irish in the fall of 2021. - Trevor Janicke (Sr., F): Anaheim Ducks, fifth round/132nd overall (2019) - Justin Janicke (So., F): Seattle Kraken, seventh round/195th overall (2021) - Nick Leivermann (GS, D): Colorado Avalanche, seventh round/187th overall (2017)

MONTREAL - Three incoming freshman on the Boston University men's ice hockey team were selected in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on Friday at Bell Centre.

He was named Best Defenseman at the 2022 Under-18 World Championship, helping Team USA earn a silver medal. In 2020-21, Greene totaled 32 points on 12 goals and 20 assists. Ryan Greene, Lane Hutson and Devin Kaplan were all selected during a 15-minute stretch of the draft, beginning with Greene being taken by the Chicago Blackhawks with the 57th overall pick.

However, just as we project the players in our draft rankings, we have to look at the classes and give the best assessment we can with the information we have ...

The real wildcard of this class is goalie Dennis Hildeby who put up big numbers in limited action this year in Sweden. I didn’t have much of a book on him, but have heard good things and the numbers certainly look promising. The Devils got another good right-shot blueliner in the second round with Seamus Casey and picked up my No. 1 ranked goaltender in Tyler Brennan. The Devils really focused on the defense in this draft and I think I would have liked to see them take a few more swings on some of the higher value forwards that were available, but they could have landed some good value in 6-foot-2 forward Josh Filmon who is just starting to grow into his body and has shown some good potential. It’s not a big class in terms of number of players, but I think it’s a higher-value one. I also really liked the pick of Kulonummi in the late third as I think he’s a really gifted puck mover and should benefit from Nashville’s long history of developing defensemen as well as any organization in the league. Analysis: To put it simply, I really like this class a lot for the Kraken. This is such a huge chance for them to propel their organization forward. One of the real wild cards of the class is Jack Sparkes, who is a towering 6-foot-8 and showed some real pro upside in the OJHL this season. In the end, the Panthers are in win-now mode and won’t have a lot of top picks for the next few years. Schaefer is the player to carry the class and I think he’ll be a good prospect, but probably not a star-caliber player. Los Angeles still ended up with three Top 100 players including Jack Hughes, Kenny Connors and Otto Salin. Connors was one of my favorite sleepers all season and should be a guy to watch to make it a few years down the road. They got two of my top three defensemen with their first round picks, added another player I had a first-round grade on in Luca Del Bel Belluz, got one of the draft’s most productive players in undersized Jordan Dumais, and got my No. 3-ranked goaltender in Sergei Ivanov. On top of that, they took a swing on one of the draft’s most intriguing talents in 6-foot-6 Russian Kirill Dolzhenkov, who has to be seen to be believed. The Red Wings, however, have bought a lot of the benefit of the doubt with their recent draft history. I think Bichsel is going to be a pretty solid player thanks to his size and mobility, and Kyrou put up a lot of points this year showcasing pretty solid overall puck skills.

The Red Wings selected five forwards who are primarily centers, highlighted by second-round picks Dylan James and Dmitri Buchelnikov.

"The first half of the season was probably a little bit disappointing; it wasn't the start he wanted," Draper said. "He's a good worker, good skater, and hard worker. We like his size and he moves well for a big man, and he's pretty athletic." It'll be special for a lot of guys whose names were called." He's another big forward who has the ability to outmuscle opponents and is strong driving to the net. We saw a lot of him and he had a good playoffs," Draper said. He was on our list because of how he played and he was a prospect we wanted to bring into our organization. "He has a good stick and he's pretty mobile. "We think we got a very skilled, smart hockey player," Draper said. "He's a complete player. He played at Sioux City and won a championship, and you commit to North Dakota, you're going there to play hockey. "We ended up drafting five centers and I'm guessing some of them have played some wing," Yzerman said.