Wheeler on Devils' Prospects and 2022 Draft | PODCAST

New Jersey Devils Official Podcast
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Scott Wheeler, The Athletic | Speak of the Devils
Scott Wheeler, who covers the NHL Draft and prospects for The Athletic, recently released his rankings of the best team prospect pools in the league. And the Devils talent ranked No. 4 in the entire NHL, headlined by Utica's Alexander Holtz and Michigan's Luke Hughes.
"I think both of them are going to be excellent NHL players," Wheeler told the Speak of the Devils podcast. "I think that's clear at this point.
"I think with Holtz what you're expecting is a goal-scoring winger who can play on your first power play, who can play on your top-6 at even strength, who can really shoot the puck. I actually think Holtz, for a long, long time, has had underrated playmaking skills as well. He's not just a shooter. I think he makes a lot of smart little reads and plays.
"Hughes is almost a transcendent skater in terms of his ability to move out there. That allows him to completely dictate play, to be in charge with the puck. Obviously, the transition game is what he's known for. He's going to transport a lot of pucks up ice and carry the puck end-to-end and create a lot of zone entries. But he's also become a much more dangerous player this year inside the offensive zone. I think that's probably the biggest development Luke has undergone this season is attacking a little bit more."

Wheeler also released his latest rankings of the 2022 NHL Draft which had center Shane Wright of Kingston from the Ontario Hockey League as the best player available. Wright has been a consensus top pick for nearly two years now. But other players, such as forward Matthew Savoie or defenseman Simon Nemec, Wheeler sees as top-tier picks as well.
"That isn't a consensus view in discussions that I've had with NHL scouts," Wheeler said. "They see both of those kids as more 5-10 guys than top-5 guys, but I'm a firm believer in both of those players as top-5 guys in this draft."
Although scouts are salivating about the 2023 NHL Draft, which Wheeler compared to the 2015 edition in terms of depth of talent, that doesn't mean the 2022 pool is lacking in any way.
"It's not just the Shane Wright Show and a weaker draft class after that," he said. "It's a fine draft class and there are going to be star level NHL players that come out of it, and impact guys, certainly at forward and defense."
Some other topics Wheeler discussed on the podcast include:
- Shane Wright as the No. 1 pick - The most underrated player on the board - How to scout international tournaments - The rule of analytics in scouting - The Devils ranking 4th in the NHL in prospect talent - Breaking down Alexander Holtz and Luke Hughes - His favorite sleepers in past drafts - Dawson Mercer's impact - Ty Smith's development