The 2022 NHL Draft will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens will have the number one overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The first round of the 2022 NHL Draft will take place on Thursday, July 7th and the second thru seventh rounds will take place on Friday, July 8th. Who is the top 15 centerman potentially in the 2022 NHL Draft?
1. Name: Shane Wright
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 191 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Kingston
League: OHL
Age: 18
Stats: 63 games played, 32 goals, and 62 assists, plus/minus rating of 23. Playoff Stats: 11 games played, three goals, and 11 assists. plus/minus rating of 4.
Scouting Report: A dynamic playmaker with a sniper’s release and it is very difficult to stop him. He is also a very effective two-way forward and projected to be the number one overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
NHL Comp: Patrice Bergeron
2. Name: Logan Cooley
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 174 lbs
Last Amateur Club: USA U-18
League: NTDP
Age: 18
Stats: 24 games played, 13 goals, and 23 assists, plus/minus rating of 19.
Scouting Report: A strong two-way forward, who is excellent in the face-off circle and continues to get better. He will be playing collegiate hockey next year at the University of Minnesota.
NHL Comp: Jack Hughes
3. Name: Frank Nazar
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs
Last Amateur Club: USA U-18
League: NTDP
Age: 18
Stats: 24 games played, 15 goals, and 20 assists, plus/minus rating of 26.
Scouting Report: He will be playing college hockey at the University of Michigan next year. Nazar is a versatile forward who plays the game of hockey game at a very high pace.
NHL Comp: N/A
4. Name: Matthew Savoie
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 175 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Winnipeg
League: WHL
Age: 18
Stats: 65 games played, 35 goals, and 55 assists, plus/minus rating of 54. Playoff stats: Eight games played, six goals, and recorded four assists, plus/minus rating of 10.
Scouting Report: He is very skilled, very quick, and is very intense with his battles. Savoie has the offensive high-end ability.
NHL Comp: N/A
5. Name: Marco Kasper
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 183 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Rogle
League: Sweden
Age: 18
Stats: 12 games played, six goals and seven assists, plus/minus rating of 2 in the junior league. In the HL league in Sweden, he played in 46 games and scored seven goals, and recorded four assists, plus/minus rating of -10.
Scouting Report: He’s a big center who controls the puck well. Marco Kasper is slick and agile and can make things happen.
NHL Comp: N/A
6. Name: Conor Geekie
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 196 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Winnipeg
League: OHL
Age: 18
Stats: 63 games, 24 goals, 46 assists, plus/minus rating 46. 10 postseason games, three goals, six assists, plus/minus rating 4.
Scouting Report: He has great long-term potential and could be a potential reach in the 2022 NHL Draft. Conor Geekie has a big physical size down the middle and his offensive potential is what scouts are praising about him.
NHL Comp: N/A
7. Brad Lambert
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 175 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Pelicans
League: Finland
Age: 18
Stats: 25 games, two goals, and two assists, plus/minus rating -6. Playoffs played in three games and scored no goals and recorded zero assists. Plus/minus rating of -1.
Scouting Report: He’s a dynamic offensive threat, combining his high-end skating ability with his offensive instincts. Brad Lambert is very dangerous when he has the puck and can pass to open teammates and thread the nettle.
NHL Comp: N/A
8. Owen Beck
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Mississauga
League: OHL
Age: 18
Stats: 68 games, 21 goals, and 30 assists, plus/minus rating 17. Playoffs 10 games, one goal, five assists, plus/minus rating -1.
Scouting Report: He is a solid two-way player with a well-rounded game. Owen Beck also shoots the puck very well.
NHL Comp: N/A
9. Name: David Goyette
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 172 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Sudbury
League: OHL
Age: 18
Stats: 66 games, 33 goals, 40 assists, plus/minus rating -6.
Scouting Report: He is very talented offensively and can be a very good value pick in the late first-round or early second round in the 2022 NHL Draft. David Goyette’s play in the neutral zone offensively is solid.
NHL Comp: N/A
10. Name: Luca Del Bel Belluz
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 175 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Mississauga
League: OHL
Age: 18
Stats: 68 games, 30 goals, 46 assists, plus/minus rating 23. 10 postseason games, one goal, and three assists, plus/minus rating -5.
Scouting Report: He had a great leap from year one to year two in the OHL. Del Bel Belluz is a very hard worker but his skating ability is not very strong but is strong at shooting the puck and passing it, but he will need more time to develop.
NHL Comp: N/A
11. Name: Jiri Kulich
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 172 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Karlovy Vary
League: CZREP
Age: 18
Stats: 49 games, nine goals, five assists, plus/minus rating 7. Three playoff games, zero goals, and one assist, plus/minus 0.
Scouting Report: He is projected to be a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Kulich has tremendous upside.
NHL Comp: N/A
12. Name: Nathan Gaucher
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 207 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Quebec
League: QMJHL
Age: 18
Stats: 66 games, 31 goals, 26 assists, plus/minus 30. Five playoff games, two goals, and three assists, plus/minus 2.
Scouting Report: He lacks a ton of offensive upside. Nathan Gaucher will be more a two-way centerman in the NHL as a third or a fourth liner and can also kill off penalties.
NHL Comp: Teddy Blueger
13. Name: Filip Bystedt
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 187 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Linkpoig Jr.
League: Sweden-Jr.
Age: 18
Stats: 40 games, 16 goals, 33 assists, plus/minus 23.
Scouting Report: He has great size and terrific edgework, His shot speed is what allows him to score, but Bystedt will need to improve on his shot release in the NHL.
NHL Comp: N/A
14. Name: Matyas Sapovaliv
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 182 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Saginaw
League: OHL
Age: 18
Stats: 68 games, 18 goals, and 34 assists, plus/minus -18.
Scouting Report: He is a playmaker and has a vision in all three zones. This was Sapovaliv’s first season in the OHL and needs to become a better skater.
NHL Comp: N/A
15. Name: Noah Ostlund
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 163 lbs
Last Amateur Club: Djugarden Jr.
League: Sweden-Jr.
Age: 18
Stats: 32 games, 9 goals, and 33 assists, plus/minus 30.
Scouting Report: He is a very good playmaker. Ostlund won’t be much of an NHL goal scorer but will be very effective with his game when he reaches the next level in hockey though also.
NHL Comp: Henrik Sedin.