Today I release my long list for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, with full write-ups on my top-ranked 127 prospects in the class. The 2022 NHL Draft looks like a somewhat below-average class. It’s a near coin flip for me to decide who is the No. 1 prospect in the class between Canadian center Shane Wright and Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky. Wright has the longer track record of success and the much-preferred position as a center but had a down season by his standards. Slafkovsky’s skill set is more attractive and he continued to pile on impressive performances this season at various tournaments, with the talent he displayed at the World Championship being enough to just nudge him ahead of Wright for me. The gap between the No. 1 and No. 5 prospect is a smaller gap than usual. This is also not a great goalie crop, with the first netminder appearing at No. 59.
Flyers Nitty Gritty
