Wright, Cooley among top 2022 NHL Draft prospects to watch at WJC
Forwards highlight nine players on list to earn A rating from Central Scouting
Shane Wright of the Canada National Junior Team will be one of several draft-eligible players looking to play a key role for his country at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"What makes Shane stand out is the way he approaches the game to compete with his exceptional skating, skills, and smarts," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "Perhaps the best compliment to come his way is the fact that he plays in a manner in which he makes other players around him better."
Wright (6-foot, 185 pounds), a right-shot center who turns 18 on Jan. 5, is an A-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list for the 2022 NHL Draft. He has scored 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) and five power-play goals in 22 games with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League this season.
"I feel I'm a little stronger this year," Wright said. "I spent a lot of time working out in the offseason to make myself bigger and stronger and I think that's a big part of my game and what I've really improved upon. It's really something that I've taken advantage of and something that's helped me out a lot."
Canada will play preliminary-round games at Rogers Place in Edmonton in Group A, along with Finland, Czechia, Germany and Austria. The United States will play preliminary games at WP Centrium in Red Deer in Group B along with Russia, Sweden, Slovakia and Switzerland.
The top four teams in each group will play in the quarterfinals Jan. 2. The semifinals are Jan. 4, and the championship and third-place games are Jan. 5. All games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States and TSN and RDS in Canada.
Here are 10 other first-year, draft-eligible players to keep an eye on in the 2022 WJC (players listed alphabetically):
Lian Bichsel (6-5, 216), D, Switzerland
Bischel, who grew up in Olten, Switzerland, has one assist in 12 games with Leksands IF of the Swedish Hockey League, the top professional men's league in Sweden. He's a rising B-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list because of his improved skating, mobility, and confidence. The two-way defenseman possesses good vision, and uses his size and strength well in battles and one-on-one situations.
Logan Cooley (5-10, 174), F, United States
An elite skater with good hockey IQ and poise, Cooley has scored 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) with 64 shots on goal in 20 games for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team. He's committed to Notre Dame in 2022-23.
Vladimir Grudinin (5-10, 158), D, Russia
The left-handed shot, a C-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's players to watch list, can play with speed and has looked sharp during training camp, according to Russia coach Sergei Zubov. He played five games for CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League this season and has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 15 games with Krasnaya Armiya in Russia's second division.
David Jiricek (6-3, 189), D, Czechia
A two-way defenseman with a big shot and passing ability, he has scored 11 points (five goals, six assists) and 49 penalty minutes in 29 games with Plzen in the top professional men's league in Czechia. The right-handed shot scored nine points (three goals, six assists) and a plus-13 rating in 34 games with Plzen last season.
Marco Kasper (6-1, 183), F, Austria
Kasper plays with energy and is an effective checker capable of creating scoring chances with his toughness along the boards. He's been compared to Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals) and has scored six points (four goals, two assists) with 17 hits and nine blocked shots while averaging 11:32 in ice time in 24 games with Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Joakim Kemell (5-11, 171), F, Finland
Kemell might be the best prospect from Finland in the 2022 draft, and is healthy after missing three weeks with an upper-body injury. He has scored 18 points (12 goals, six assists) and six power-play goals while averaging 16:48 in 21 games with JYP in Liiga, the top professional men's league in Finland. He brings great puck skills and offensive instincts, and his 0.86 points-per-game pace is just shy of a few of the best for any draft year eligible player in Liiga history (
Mikael Granlund
, 0.93; Aleksander Barkov, 0.91).
Brad Lambert (6-0, 175), F, Finland
Lambert has scored six points (two goals, four assists) and taken 66 shots on goal while averaging 13:45 of ice time in 24 games with JYP in Liiga. Lambert, a smart playmaker with a good two-way game, is capable of running the power play.
Simon Nemec (6-0, 190), D, Slovakia
A good skater with a mature game and good tools at the offensive blueline, Nemec has 13 assists and a plus-4 rating in 22 games with Nitra in the Slovakia league. He plays a mature game and rarely panics in tight situations, and was named MVP of the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup after scoring six points (one goal, five assists) in five games for second place Slovakia.
Juraj Slafkovsky (6-3, 218), F, Slovakia
A versatile forward who can play wing or center, Slafkovsky is mobile with good puck control despite his big frame. Playing in Finland, he has four points (one goal, three assists) with 51 shots while averaging 13:29 in 20 games with TPS in Liiga. Forward Marko Dano was the last Slovakia-born player chosen in the first round of the NHL draft, selected No. 27 by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013. Marian Gaborik was the highest selected at No. 3 by the Minnesota Wild in the 2000 NHL Draft.
Danila Yurov (6-1, 178), F, Russia
Yurov exhibited good hands and speed for second place Russia at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, scoring 11 points (four goals, 11 assists) in seven games. He has no points and five blocked shots while averaging 4:37 in 21 games with Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League this season. Zubov likes his vision and quickness with the puck on his stick.
---
Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class
