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The expected draft for the NHL will take place next week. Preddraft rankings and predictions have already been published by several experts, but probably the most expected was the journalist of the overseas TSN Bob McKenzie.
He has not been wrong in the prediction of the draft unit for several years, at least since 2010 he has hit all units, even those that were not clear and other experts saw it differently. And in his ranking for draft 2022, he put Slovak striker Juraj Slafkovsky first, as one of the few who preferred him to Canadian Shan Wright.
He asked ten scouts, five had Slafkovsky as a unit, four put Wright in this position. He reminds us that it is a photofinish with a marginal difference. So far, Wright has been leading his charts throughout the season, and only in the last few days before the draft has Slafkovský overtaken him.
But he recalled two important facts. “If you asked ten more scouts, it could end 5: 4 in favor of Wright. It’s really tight. And the ranking does not take into account the needs of the club that will be the first to choose, but only the qualities of the players, ” McKenzie from TSN.
“It’s a special draft year.” one of the scouts should have said. “Neither of them is a clear player in the first attack. I’m not saying they can’t be them, they’re good brochures, but unlike in previous years, this draft doesn’t have any great brochures, huge stars. I like a lot about both, but I also have reservations, “ McKenzie added.
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Of the ten scouts, nine had Slafkovsky in first or second place, one put him in fourth. Wright was in the top two in eight and two in third. However, several scouts expected more from him in his draft season. In the premiere season at the OHL in 2019/20, he scored 66 points (39 + 27) in 58 duels, and in the draft season two years later 94 points (32 + 62) in 63 duels.
The teams in which he dropped out of the first place expected more from him, while others see huge potential in him, which he showed especially in the mentioned first season in the OHL. “But it seems like too long ago,” the scout said. In his favor, he says that he is a medium striker, a more advanced, better skater and a more complex hockey player.
On the contrary, the recently ended season has fired a shot at Juraj Slafkovsky, especially the great Olympics, where he became the best scorer and the most useful player in the tournament.
“Slafkovsky is bigger than Wright, plays harder and is more consistent in competitiveness, he can shine at big events,” said another of the scouts towards the native of Košice, according to another he has a better chance of being an attacker of the first line. The downside is its lower productivity from the highest Finnish competition. He scored 10 points (5 + 5) in 31 doubles in the basic part and in the play-off 2 + 5 in 18 duels.
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According to several, in five years, none of them may be the best in this draft. Great hopes are placed especially in the American center of Logan Cooley, who was in the first place with one of the scouts, in the ranking of McKenzie third.
The fourth place was taken by another Slovak – defender Šimon Nemec. “He is an intelligent double-sided defender who is good with the puck. He has no wow factor or elite offensive abilities and is not an extra physical defender, but his skating and cleverness predicts that he can be the club’s second or third defender. The highest among scouts was the second, the lowest seventh, ” they wrote in the ranking for the Germans.
From other Slovaks, forward Filip Mešár also took the first round in the ranking, placing him in 30th place. Adam Sýkor has the 63rd place. The draft will take place on July 7 and 8 in Montreal.
Bob McKenzie’s pre-draft 2022 rankings:
1. Juraj Slafkovský (LW – Slovakia)
2. Shane Wright (C-Kanada)
3. Logan Cooley (C – USA)
4. Simon Nemec (D – Slovakia)
5. Cutter Gauthier (LW – USA)
6. David Jiricek (D – Czechia)
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30. Filip Mesar (RW – Slovakia)
63. Adam Sýkora (LW – Slovakia)
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