It’s that time once again folks—the 2022 NHL draft is right around the corner!
Below you will find the aggregate site and individual ranks for the first two rounds’ worth of draft-eligible prospect from Drew Way, George Obremski and Rich Coyle. As always, we organize players into tiers, and we stress that the tiers are far more important than the individual ranks. Our tier methodology is simple: all players on a tier are more or less interchangeable in terms of their exact ordering. Yes, we have slight preferences between the players that go into the individual rankings, but we would not argue against any ordering of players within a tier.
Drew also anoints the winner of the 2022 Ty Smith Memorial Trophy in his section below! In addition to that, since this is a New York Rangers site after all, Drew also provides some players that may be available when the Rangers make their first selection at 63rd overall (pick 30 in round 2).
If you have any questions, comments or feedback about our rankings or any of the 2022 draft prospects, PLEASE feel free to reach out to any of us on Twitter, and we’d be happy to answer your questions or field your feedback.
All prospect profile data is courtesy of eliteprospects, unless otherwise stated.
Aggregate Site Rankings
Drew Way
Ty Smith Memorial Award
First thing’s first, it’s time to announce the winner of the most coveted award in all of the land—the Ty Smith Memorial Trophy! It was a tough decision this year, especially with so much perceived parity after the first 12 or so players and the difficulties with scouting and coming to meaningful conclusions on players who had an unprecedented situation the last couple of seasons thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
First, some honorable mentions that you all need to be aware of as players I think are underrated by many traditional pundits but didn’t quite crack the top-3 for me: Brad Lambert, David Goyette, Gleb Trikozov, Filip Mešár and Lane Hutson.
Now, your three finalists are:
Frank Nazar
Center/Right Wing, U.S. National U18 (USDP) | U.S.A. | DOB: January 24, 2004 | Height: 5′ 10”, Weight: 181 lbs, Handedness: Right
Frank Nazar is an absolute stud, and I am firm in my belief that he should be selected in the top-10 on draft day. Many of the top players in this class have some sort of fairly blatant flaw in their game—Frank Nazar is not one of those in my opinion. EliteProspects stated in their profile of him that his game reminds them a bit of Brayden Point—I can totally see that comparison.
Nazar is a very good skater, has a tremendous hockey sense, possesses strong shooting and passing abilities and is a positive contributor in all three zones. Perhaps his best trait is his transitional ability, where he can fly by opposing defenders or finesse his way through the zone. In the offensive zone he is among the best playmakers in this class, and similar to Del Bel Belluz, he can consistently thread passes to his teammates that, while watching on television, you are not even aware was a possibility because the passing lane is so small. He is a gifted puck handler, and uses this to find a way to get to the dangerous areas of the ice on a consistent basis, from which he can either set up a scoring opportunity for a teammate or take the shot himself. While he does not have the most powerful shot in the class, it is strong enough, which coupled with his quick and deceptive release and accuracy gives him a plus shot.
On the defensive end of the ice, nobody will mistake him for Patrice Bergeron, but he absolutely has the ability to be a plus defender in the NHL. He’s a willing back-checker and has an active stick, which coupled with his speed makes him a constant threat to turn the puck over and begin the rush the other way. He also has sound positioning and rarely finds himself out of position.
The one knock most have on Nazar, and the reason he is not a consensus top-10 pick, is his size. He’s listed at 5’ 10’’ and 181 pounds, which may be difficult for him to translate to the center position at the NHL level given how coaches still clearly value size at that position. Yes he needs to get stronger, and yes he can get pushed around a bit at the moment, but don’t allow that one issue distract from the fact that Nazar is absolutely a top-10 talent in this class, and as he matures and adds more strength, I am confident he can develop into a top-6 center in the NHL, with top line upside.
The following chart is courtesy of Mitch Brown’s fantastic tracking data, which can be accessed from his Patreon.
Luca Del Bel Belluz
Center, Mississauga (OHL) | CAN | DOB: November 10, 2003 | Height: 6′ 1”, Weight: 179 lbs, Handedness: Left
Luca Del Bel Belluz has one of the best names in the class, that’s for sure, but there’s obviously so much to like about his game. He’s among the more polarizing prospects in this class, and I’ve seen him ranked everywhere from the early 20s to well into the 80s. Personally, I slotted him in at 27, on my fourth tier which spans from 21 (Gleb Trikozov) to 30 (Ivan Miroshnickenko), meaning he could go as high as 21 and I wouldn’t bat an eye.
Del Bel Belluz is a well-rounded player who is trusted in all situations by his coach (James Richmond) on the Mississauga Steelheads but is particularly known for his dynamic offensive gifts. He is a phenomenal playmaker with tremendous vision who can thread passes through tight spots with the best of them. He also has a plus shot, featuring a deceptive release and pinpoint accuracy—much like his passing. He has soft hands and is a gifted puck handler in traffic, which combined with his passing and shooting talent makes him particularly dangerous in the offensive zone.
In fact, according to Josh Khalfin’s excellent prospect data, Luca Del Bel Belluz is among the best passers in the CHL, and clearly the best playmaker on his team. The majority of his assists are in fact primary assists, and he’s 20th in assists per-60 in the OHL across the last 6 seasons! He also has strong positive offensive influence across the board, with his best contributions coming in primary assists, but also very strong in goals for percentage relative to his team, shot rate and overall offensive influence.
Because of his skill level and prowess on offense, the more physical aspects of his game go overlooked by some. This is a mistake. He is an absolutely tenacious forechecker and is often the first member of his team pressuring an opponent when they attempt to breakout of their defensive zone. He has an active stick and is often in the right position while defending in the neutral zone, allowing him to turn the puck over and quickly transition onto the offensive attack.
In his own zone he’s not necessarily a standout, but he is no slouch in the least and in my book a plus defender. He’s a good decision maker in the defensive end, often making the right reads in determining whether to assist a defenseman down low or stay in his zone and cut off the passing lanes. That coupled with his active stick and lack of fear to sacrifice his body to block shots makes him a well-rounded player with skills that should translate to the NHL. Of course, all of the above stand out as someone that perhaps go in the lottery, so there has to be a reason I have him at 27 (and most have him in the second round). That reason primarily is his skating and lack of balance. While I do think some traditional pundits over-state how negative his skating is—I think he’s average—it’s certainly his biggest area for improvement. He has a short, choppy stride that limits his burst and causes him to become off-balance at times under pressure. Luckily, this seems fixable, and with the right skating coach in the NHL I think he can certainly develop into an average skate, which combined with his hockey sense and toolset should allow him to be an effective NHLer, and a potential steal if a team is able to nab him in the second round.
Rutger McGroarty
Center, U.S. National U18 (USDP) | U.S.A. | DOB: March 30, 2004 | Height: 6′ 1”, Weight: 205 lbs, Handedness: Left
I’m not a fan of player comps or anything, but I can’t help but think of John Tavares when I watch McGroarty play. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I project McGroarty to be the caliber player of Tavares—a number one overall pick and perennial all star who in his best seasons warranted Hart consideration. But what I am saying is that, similar to Tavares, I don’t think there are any blatant holes in his offensive or defensive games, but also similar to Tavares there is one major knock on his game—his skating.
In my opinion, when you consider the work ethic, hockey sense, puck skills, shot and playmaking, McGroarty is one of the best players in this draft class. He has a knack for finding the soft areas of the ice and getting open to allow his teammates to easily set him up for a scoring chance. He has tremendous puck protection skills and is great at using his relatively large frame and strength and shielding off defenders and making a play. He can play in front of the net, from the slot or from the boards, and this versatility really opens up the ice for his teammates. He is a good playmaker and has a very good shot that features a quick release, accuracy and power. He has soft hands and is a great pass receiver—an underrated skill in my book—and can score both beautiful goals that highlight his skill or he can clean up the mess in front of the net and knock home a rebound.
In the defensive zone he is almost always in the right position, does not chase the play, and knows when to help out and when to stay in his area. He has an active stick and plays the passing lanes well, and consistently shows the ability to come out of board scrums with the puck. Once he regains possession, his main tool for breakouts is his passing ability, and often can make a quick decision and find a teammate to lead the break up the ice.
Mitch Brown—an absolutely must follow for those interested in hockey prospects—puts out wonderful prospect micro stat tracking charts, and is always a go to resource of mine as I work on my rankings each year. I think Rutger McGroarty’s player card aligns very well with my personal eye test observations I wrote about above. His defensive impacts aren’t quite as strong as I’ve personally observed, but still nothing to sneeze at, and he’s elite in generating shots, slot passes and has a very impressive Game Score. He also is very effective in terms of entering the offensive zone with control—which is remarkably impressive considering how skating is the biggest weakness to his game.
His skating is a real issue, and it is the reason why even I have him ranked towards the bottom-end of the lottery instead of firmly in the top-10. That said, I do think most of his issues are mechanical, and with the proper skating coach can absolutely be improved upon at the next level. He will never be a plus skater at the NHL level, but I believe if he cleans up his stride in particular—which right now is definitely too choppy, leading to pretty slow acceleration—he can at least be an average NHL skater, which coupled with all of the other tools he possesses, his work ethic and hockey sense, can lead to him being an absolute steal in the draft when he (likely) is selected outside of the lottery.
On a recent appearance on the Blueshirts Breakaway podcast, Greg asked if I’d be comfortable trading Nils Lundkvist (as an example) to get to about pick 20. In general, my answer is no I would not do that prior to the draft, but if the right player is available come draft day in the early 20s, I would. Rutger McGroarty is absolutely one of the players I’d be cool with this hypothetical trade scenario to grab on draft day.
And the winner is….
Rutger McGroarty! This was a particularly tough decision for me, as I love all three of these players. However, Rutger McGroarty was able to beat out the competition by a hair, and he now joins the ranks of Ty Smith, Pavel Dorofeyev, Jan Mysak and Ville Koivunen as winners of the most prestigious prospect award in all of hockey.
New York Rangers Targets at Pick 63
Thanks to making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers first round pick winds up in the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, courtesy of a condition of the Andrew Copp trade. So, the Rangers first selection, barring a trade of some kind, doesn’t come until the 30th pick in the second round, number 63 overall. One fortunate thing for the Rangers with this draft in particular, is there is very little consensus for how public rankers and traditional pundits rank the players in this class outside of the lottery, and I’d bet at least one player I have ranked as a first rounder may very well be available at 63.
Here are some players that I feel could realistically be available at pick 63 that I’d be thrilled if the Rangers could grab with this selection.
Gleb Trikozov
Forward, Omskie (MHL) | RUS | DOB: August 12, 2004 | Height: 6′ 1”, Weight: 185 lbs, Handedness: Right
Among the most polarizing players in this class, the stats-leaning portion of the prospecting world tends to rate Gleb comfortably as a first round pick, while the more traditional pundits have him in the mid second round. Bob McKenzie’s list—which tends to be the best in terms of predicting where players will actually go—has him at 64, so he realistically could be available when the Rangers pick at 63. Personally, I think Gleb is a dynamic offensive threat with a high hockey sense, and I have him ranked at 22 overall. He’s among the younger players in the class and already has NHL size. He’s poised and patient with the puck on his stick, and has an electric shot which is highlighted by perhaps the quickest release in this class. He certainly has holes in his game—as all players that may be available at 63 do, but I think along with Lane Hutson, he comfortably has the highest ceiling of any player that may be realistically available at this point in the class.
Jordan Dumais
Right Wing, Halifax (QMJHL) | CAN | DOB: April 15, 2004 | Height: 5′ 9”, Weight: 165 lbs, Handedness: Right
If you are just looking at box score numbers, Jordan Dumais is a player you’d think would easily be a lottery pick after putting up 109 points (39 goals and 70 assists) in 68 games. However, when you watch him play, very little stands out in terms of any specific tools that absolutely are NHL-caliber. This makes him among the tougher players in the class to rank in my opinion, and a big reason why I’ve seen him ranked as high as a late first round pick and as low as a late third round pick. Personally, when I watch him play, I think the reason why he can be so highly productive without any eye-popping tools—similar to Adam Fox, he is just smarter than everyone else on the ice with him. I do think he has NHL-caliber vision and playmaking, which coupled with his elite hockey sense will translate to him having a solid NHL career, and well worth a pick at 63.
Cameron Lund
Center, Green Bay (USHL) | U.S.A. | DOB: June 7, 2004 | Height: 6′ 2”, Weight: 192 lbs, Handedness: Right
Cameron Lund is a big(ish) right-shot center with a well-rounded game. His standout skill is absolutely his shot—powerful and accurate enough to beat goalies from distance which coupled with his propensity to drive the net and willingness to muck it up at the crease makes him a threat to score from anywhere in the offensive zone. His playmaking abilities have developed considerably of late, and he’s also an effective transition player, hard-working defender and has a physical edge to his game many NHL scouts will appreciate. Like many in this class, skating is his weakness, but there are some mechanical issues that, if corrected, should allow him to be a good enough skater that, combined with his offensive tool set and physicality, should absolutely lend themselves to a solid NHL career.
Reiger Lorenz
Center, Okotoks (AJHL) | CAN | DOB: March 30, 2004 | Height: 6′ 2”, Weight: 194 lbs, Handedness: Left
The big left-shot center committed to play for Denver University next year is another very polarizing prospect when you look across various draft lists, and can be found as high as the late 30s and as low as the early 100s. Playing in the AJHL likely contributes to this wide ranking variance, as does the fact that he to this point in his career has been a streaky player. Some games you watch and he’s an absolute wrecking ball, a dominant force that the opponent can’t even dream of stopping—and if they do dream of it, they better wake up and apologize to Rieger. However, other games you watch and you are left wondering if he even played in the game. When talking about players in the late second round, I’m personally looking for upside—traits that I believe will lend themselves to this player making the NHL and having a meaningful career. Rieger absolutely qualifies there—he has elite puck protection skills, has a plus shot, can play on the perimeter or near the crease, is a tenacious forechecker and a very strong penalty killer.
Lane Hutson
Defenseman, U.S. National U18 (USDP) | U.S.A. | DOB: February 14, 2004 | Height: 5′ 8”, Weight: 159 lbs, Handedness: Left
If Lane Hutson were 6 feet tall, he’d be a lottery pick—that’s how talented he is. Unfortunately, he is a defenseman that currently stands at 5’ 8’’—and I say currently because he and his agent have been passing around testimonials from an endocrinologist claiming he will likely still grow a few more inches—so that will push him likely to the second round. In my opinion, there is no way he should be available at 63—but, this is the NHL and hockey men well…. they will hockey men. If he’s there at 63, I don’t care that defenseman is the last thing the Rangers need right now in the pipeline, he absolutely should be the pick (unless of course Gleb Trikozov or someone unfathomable drops this far). He is an elite passer, has tremendous vision, has a motor that never stops and is a willing and accurate shooter. He’s one of the most creative players in the entire draft class, and by all accounts he’s also one of the most genuinely wonderful kids in this class—everyone that plays with him or coaches him absolutely raves about his positive impacts on the room. Also, and perhaps most importantly, he’s actually a very good defender—easily one of the best stick defenders in this class and always in the right position. I personally would be absolutely thrilled if the Rangers are able to nab him at 63.
Adam Sýkora
Wing, Nitra (Slovakia) | SVK | DOB: September 7, 2004 | Height: 5′ 11”, Weight: 174 lbs, Handedness: Left
Sýkora is literally a week away from qualifying for next year’s draft class, yet despite his young age, I feel he might have the highest floor—and be the most likely of any of these players I named in this section to definitely have an NHL career. While on the smaller side, he is a very physical player that effectively uses his body and strong skating to possess the puck and create opportunities for both himself and his teammates. He easily has one of the highest compete levels in this class and is absolutely fearless in all areas of the ice. While skating is his only true standout offensive ability, he has enough shooting, passing and puck-handling ability that, combined with his motor, skating and physicality, make Sýkora the guy that, if I had to bet on just one of these players making the NHL and playing at least 100 games, he’d be my pick.
George Obremski
In addition to the names Drew shared in his section, there are two more players I’d like to highlight as names I think Rangers fans should be happy to hear selected at 63 on draft day.
Matthew Ward
Right Wing, Swift Current (WHL) | CAN | DOB: January 24, 2004 | Height: 5′ 8”, Weight: 157 lbs, Handedness: Left
He’s probably more likely to be a bit of a later round pick (third round or later), but Matthew Ward is a highly competitive forward with offensive ability who I wouldn’t mind if the NYR picked him at 63. While definitely undersize, he was first in points (57 points in 64 games) and second in goals (22) for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL and he’s extremely noticeable when on the ice. He outworks his opponents and isn’t afraid to go to the corners against defenders. Has a high hockey IQ which, with his competitiveness can lead to a successful NHL career, regardless of his size.
Adam Ingram
Center, Youngstown (USHL) | U.S.A. | DOB: October 14, 2003 | Height: 6′ 2”, Weight: 174 lbs, Handedness: Left
Ingram went from the MJHL to the USHL when COVID shut down the MJHL 2020-21 season. In the USHL, he produced at a point per game rate and continued to improve throughout the season. His shot might be one of the better shots in this year’s draft and with his size, he’s able to overpower defenders to get to better positioning. He still has a lot of work to do in the defensive end and by going to the NCAA, where he is currently committed to attend St. Could University this fall, he should be able to improve his 2 way game. He has top 6 upside should he be able to have a complete 2 way game.
Rich Coyle
