Top International skaters discussed ahead of 2022 NHL Draft

The 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held July 7-8 at Bell Centre in Montreal. The first round will be July 7 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are July 8 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features.
Today, a review of the top International prospects with Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki
, No. 6 in
NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters
, hopes to become the first Sweden-born player chosen in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
Lekkerimaki (5-foot-10, 171 pounds), who missed four weeks in March with mononucleosis, had nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 26 games while skating on a line with San Jose Sharks forward prospect William Eklund for Djurgarden of the Swedish Hockey League this season.
The 17-year-old right wing led all players at the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championship with 15 points and 10 assists for first-place Sweden. He had a goal and three three assists in a 6-4 win against the United States in the championship game May 1.

"I think to have good confidence playing against the top guys in the world helped me at the tournament, and I also was on a good line with left wing
Liam Ohgren
(No. 8 in Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters) and center
Noah Ostlund
(No. 18)," Lekkerimaki said. "I think playing another year or two in Sweden will be good (for my development). I'm under contract to play in Sweden one more season.
"I think I have to improve my physical play but one day I want to play like Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche). I feel I'm a sniper with good hockey sense and good skating."
Lekkerimaki is one of many international players expected to be chosen in the first round of the 2022 draft. Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting, helps break it down in five questions:

What separated left wing Juraj Slafkovsky (6-4, 229), No. 1 in Central Scouting's ranking of International skaters, from right wing Joakim Kemell (5-9, 185), who is No. 2?
"Slafkovsky is a junior player in a senior body. He's big, fast and extremely skilled. His role in his club team with TPS [in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland] was difficult for him because they play a very disciplined, defensive style of hockey, so he didn't get as many points as he did for the [Slovakia] national team. His checking game in the offensive end is unbelievable. Kemell had a sensational start to the season and was the leading scorer as a 17-year-old in [Liiga], but he hurt his shoulder at the end of October and was out for 5-6 weeks. He tried to come back, played two games for Finland at the 2022 World Junior Championship but his shoulder was not good and never was the player he was at the beginning of the season until the World Under-18 Championship, where he again was the leading scorer for Finland. Kemell is more of a finesse player but he doesn't shy away from rough stuff either. He's very good in front of the net."
What enabled Lekkerimaki to move three spots to No. 6 from No. 9 at the midterm in January?
"Lekkerimaki played on Djurgarden in the Swedish Hockey League and with Djurgarden in Swedish junior league. He had a tough season because Djurgarden was struggling the whole time, but Lekkerimaki was still one of the leading forwards on the team. He's an excellent skater, has a nose for the net, very good offensive instincts and never stops skating. I love his drive when you see him play."

Defensemen Simon Nemec (6-0, 199; No. 3) and David Jiricek (6-3, 189; No. 4) are each at the top of the International rankings. Does one look more NHL ready than the other, either because of his skill set, size or both?
"Jiricek had a bad knee injury at World Juniors and missed 2 1/2 months, got back, and to everybody's surprise played for Czech Republic's national team at the World Championship. He's bigger and has more of a professional style game. Both are very explosive players. Nemec is more of a playmaker and a passer. He sometimes is guilty of overdoing his passing skills. Jiricek likes to join the rush, likes to shoot and he likes to play offense. While he tries to shoot as much as possible, Nemec is more the playmaker and passer, but both are extremely skilled."
What's your take on the top tier prospects in Russia: No. 7 Danila Yurov (6-1, 178) of Magnitogorsk and No. 11 Ivan Miroshnichenko (6-1, 185) of Omsk. Where do you anticipate these players going in the draft? Or do you anticipate a waiting game with NHL clubs?
"I'm afraid it will be a waiting game, which is a pity. Yurov is a classical Russian forward, extremely talented, fast, an excellent skater and capable scorer. He's a good player but the question is, what will the NHL clubs do with the Russians? Miroshnichenko got seriously ill during the season (diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in March), was out, and it's doubtful when can he start playing again. He's expected to be back for next season, but nobody really knows what will happen. So right now, I think all the Russian players have big question marks."

Center Brad Lambert (6-0, 183; No. 10) dropped five spots to No. 10 on Central Scouting's final International ranking. Why did this happen and what stands out about him?
"I belong to those who love him as a player. I think there's been a little bit too much fuss around him; he's been moved all around. I don't know who's moving him, but he was with Pelicans and then suddenly playing junior with HIFK Under-20 as a 16- and 17-year-old (in 2019-20). Then he moved to JYP and back to Pelicans (this season). I think he would be in a better spot right now if he had stayed in his hometown (Pelicans). He's an explosive player, a great skater. He seems to work very hard, has a good attitude and he can shoot the puck. He didn't have many points (10) in the Finnish league this year, but he proved himself in two games at the World Junior Championship with Finland, getting a goal and four assists. So when he's playing his own age group, he's outstanding."
Photo: International Ice Hockey Federation
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