The NHL released their midterm draft rankings this week along with several other notable junior hockey experts. Unlike the 2021 draft, this year’s draft will feature players who actually played hockey this season, and that has allowed the list of draft eligible players to sort itself out.
The 2022 draft has a clear cut number one player in Shane Wright, with a decent crop of players rounding out the first round. There are already teams in the NHL that are clearly focused on securing the first overall selection including the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens, and both could use the services of the superstar that Wright projects to be.
One of the most notable observations from this year’s draft class is the top tier talent from overseas. Only five of the top 14 ranked players on our consolidated board play in North America. The first round is filled with high performing players from Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Czechia, and Russia. It’s interesting to see such a skew this year after the top five selections in 2021 were all from North American teams.
Regardless, the top spot is owned by Wright and everyone else is playing for second. Wright was the number one ranked player in every single rankings list. For context on how clear cut Wright’s first overall selection is, four players were ranked second on at least one board. Ten players received at least one top-five ranking, 17 received at least one top-10 ranking, and 57 received at least one top-32 ranking.
Our rankings include those from Dobber Prospects, Future Considerations, McKeen’s Hockey, EliteProspects, Sportsnet, The Hockey Writers, Bob McKenzie, and Craig Button. If any notable rankings were missed, please let us know and we will adjust our consolidated rankings accordingly.
Without further ado, here’s the full list.
| RANK | PLAYER | MEAN RANK | POS | TEAM | LEAGUE | DOB | HT | WT | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shane Wright | 1.0 | C | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | Jan 5, 2004 | 6’1″ | 187 | R |
| 2 | Joakim Kemell | 3.8 | RW | JYP | Liiga | Apr 27, 2004 | 5’11” | 176 | R |
| 3 | Matthew Savoie | 4.0 | C | Winnipeg Ice | WHL | Jan 1, 2004 | 5’9″ | 179 | R |
| 4 | Logan Cooley | 4.8 | C | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | May 4, 2004 | 5’10” | 174 | L |
| 5 | Simon Nemec | 6.3 | D | HK Nitra | Slovakia | Feb 15, 2004 | 6’1″ | 192 | R |
| 6 | Danila Yurov | 7.0 | RW | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | KHL | Dec 22, 2003 | 6’1″ | 179 | L |
| 7 | Juraj Slafkovsky | 7.3 | LW | TPS | Liiga | Mar 30, 2004 | 6’4″ | 225 | L |
| 8 | David Jiricek | 8.9 | D | HC Plzen | Czechia | Nov 28, 2003 | 6’3″ | 190 | R |
| 9 | Brad Lambert | 9.0 | C/RW | Pelicans | Liiga | Dec 19, 2003 | 6’0″ | 179 | R |
| 10 | Frank Nazar | 11.0 | C/RW | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Jan 14, 2004 | 5’10” | 174 | R |
| 11 | Conor Geekie | 13.3 | C | Winnipeg Ice | WHL | May 5, 2004 | 6’4″ | 205 | L |
| 12 | Jonathan Lekkerimäki | 13.8 | C | Djurgårdens IF J20 | J20 Nationell | Jul 24, 2004 | 5’11” | 172 | R |
| 13 | Ivan Miroshnichenko | 14.5 | LW | Omskie Krylia | VHL | Feb 4, 2004 | 6’1″ | 185 | R |
| 14 | Filip Mesar | 16.1 | W/C | HK Poprad | Slovakia | Jan 3, 2004 | 5’10” | 172 | R |
| 15 | Rutger McGroarty | 17.8 | C | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Mar 30, 2004 | 6’0″ | 205 | L |
| 16 | Isaac Howard | 19.3 | LW | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Mar 30, 2004 | 5’10” | 183 | L |
| 17 | Seamus Casey | 20.6 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Jan 8, 2004 | 5’10” | 161 | R |
| 18 | Liam Öhgren | 21.8 | LW | Djurgårdens IF J20 | J20 Nationell | Jan 28, 2004 | 6’1″ | 187 | L |
| 19 | Cutter Gauthier | 21.9 | C/LW | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Jan 19, 2004 | 6’3″ | 194 | L |
| 20 | Marco Kasper | 22.0 | C | Rögle BK | SHL | Apr 8, 2004 | 6’1″ | 183 | L |
| 21 | Ty Nelson | 22.9 | D | North Bay Battalion | OHL | Mar 30, 2004 | 5’10” | 196 | R |
| 22 | Noah Östlund | 23.2 | C | Djurgårdens IF J20 | J20 Nationell | Mar 11, 2004 | 5’11” | 163 | L |
| 23 | Pavel Mintyukov | 24.9 | D | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | Nov 25, 2003 | 6’1″ | 192 | L |
| 24 | Kevin Korchinski | 25.0 | D | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | Jun 21, 2004 | 6’2″ | 185 | L |
| 25 | Denton Mateychuk | 25.1 | D | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | Jul 12, 2004 | 5’11” | 187 | L |
| 26 | Ryan Chesley | 25.3 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Feb 27, 2004 | 6’0″ | 194 | R |
| 27 | Tristan Luneau | 25.4 | D | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | Jan 12, 2004 | 6’2″ | 174 | R |
| 28 | Nathan Gaucher | 25.7 | C | Québec Remparts | QMJHL | Nov 6, 2003 | 6’3″ | 207 | R |
| 29 | Gleb Trikozov | 27.4 | C/RW | Omskie Krylia | VHL | Aug 12, 2004 | 6’1″ | 185 | R |
| 30 | Jimmy Snuggerud | 29.3 | F | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Jun 1, 2004 | 6’2″ | 185 | R |
| 31 | Elias Salomonsson | 29.8 | D | Skellefteå AIK J20 | J20 Nationell | Aug 31, 2004 | 6’1″ | 172 | R |
| 32 | Alexander Perevalov | 30.8 | LW | Loko Yaroslavl | MHL | Apr 16, 2004 | 6’0″ | 192 | R |
| 33 | Calle Odelius | 31.1 | D | Djurgårdens IF J20 | J20 Nationell | May 30, 2004 | 6’0″ | 185 | L |
| 34 | Owen Pickering | 32.6 | D | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | Jan 27, 2004 | 6’4″ | 179 | L |
| 35 | Jiri Kulich | 32.8 | C | HC Karlovy Vary | Czechia | Apr 14, 2004 | 6’0″ | 172 | L |
| 36 | Matthew Poitras | 33.2 | C | Guelph Storm | OHL | Mar 10, 2004 | 5’11” | 172 | R |
| 37 | Lian Bichsel | 35.5 | D | Leksands IF | SHL | May 18, 2004 | 6’5″ | 216 | L |
| 38 | Bryce McConnell-Barker | 36.0 | C | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | Jun 4, 2004 | 6’1″ | 187 | L |
| 39 | Filip Bystedt | 37.3 | C | Linköping HC J20 | J20 Nationell | Feb 4, 2004 | 6’4″ | 187 | L |
| 40 | Jack Hughes | 38.2 | C | Northeastern Univ. | NCAA | Nov 2, 2003 | 6’0″ | 165 | L |
| 41 | Aleksanteri Kaskimäki | 38.5 | C | HIFK U20 | U20 SM-sarja | Feb 6, 2004 | 6’0″ | 183 | L |
| 42 | Adam Ingram | 38.7 | F | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | Oct 14, 2003 | 6’2″ | 174 | L |
| 43 | Paul Ludwinski | 39.7 | C | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | Apr 23, 2004 | 5’11” | 172 | L |
| 44 | Rieger Lorenz | 40.0 | C | Okotoks Oilers | AJHL | Mar 30, 2004 | 6’2″ | 185 | L |
| 45 | Danny Zhilkin | 40.5 | C | Guelph Storm | OHL | Dec 19, 2003 | 6’2″ | 183 | L |
| 46 | Michael Buchinger | 42.0 | D | Guelph Storm | OHL | Apr 25, 2004 | 6’0″ | 185 | L |
| 47 | Simon Forsmark | 42.8 | D | Örebro HK J20 | J20 Nationell | Oct 17, 2003 | 6’2″ | 194 | L |
| 48 | Maveric Lamoureux | 43.0 | D | Drummondville Voltigeurs | QMJHL | Jan 13, 2004 | 6’7″ | 196 | R |
| 49 | Lane Hutson | 43.4 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Feb 14, 2004 | 5’8″ | 148 | L |
| 50 | Matyas Sapovaliv | 44.0 | F | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | Feb 12, 2004 | 6’4″ | 190 | L |
| 51 | Jani Nyman | 44.3 | LW | Ilves U20 | U20 SM-sarja | Jul 30, 2004 | 6’3″ | 207 | L |
| 52 | Owen Beck | 45.0 | C | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | Feb 3, 2004 | 6’0″ | 190 | R |
| 53 | Mats Lindgren | 45.0 | D | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | Aug 26, 2004 | 6’0″ | 176 | L |
| 54 | Sam Rinzel | 47.0 | D | Chaska High | USHS-MN | Jun 25, 2004 | 6’4″ | 181 | R |
| 55 | Matthew Seminoff | 47.3 | RW | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | Dec 27, 2003 | 5’11” | 183 | R |
| 56 | Luca Del Bel Belluz | 47.3 | C | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | Nov 10, 2003 | 6’1″ | 179 | L |
| 57 | Tyler Duke | 48.0 | D | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Jul 19, 2004 | 5’9″ | 179 | L |
| 58 | Hunter Haight | 48.2 | C | Barrie Colts | OHL | Apr 4, 2004 | 5’10” | 172 | R |
| 59 | Markus Vidicek | 49.0 | C | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | Mar 21, 2004 | 5’10” | 154 | L |
| 60 | Ludwig Persson | 49.5 | C/LW | Frölunda HC J20 | J20 Nationell | Oct 8, 2003 | 5’11” | 179 | L |
| 61 | Mattias Hävelid | 50.2 | D | Linköping HC J20 | J20 Nationell | Jan 1, 2004 | 5’10” | 172 | R |
| 62 | Devin Kaplan | 51.0 | F | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Jan 10, 2004 | 6’3″ | 198 | R |
| 63 | Vladimir Grudinin | 52.8 | D | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | Dec 9, 2003 | 5’10” | 159 | L |
| 64 | David Goyette | 52.8 | C | Sudbury Wolves | OHL | Mar 27, 2004 | 5’11” | 174 | L |
| 65 | Jordan Gustafson | 53.7 | F | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | Jan 20, 2004 | 5’11” | 179 | L |
| 66 | Tomas Hamara | 54.0 | D | Tappara U20 | U20 SM-sarja | Mar 9, 2004 | 6’0″ | 185 | L |
| 67 | Kasper Kulonummi | 54.0 | D | Jokerit U20 | U20 SM-sarja | Mar 1, 2004 | 6’0″ | 179 | R |
| 68 | Artyom Duda | 54.8 | D | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | Apr 8, 2004 | 6’1″ | 181 | L |
| 69 | Ryan Greene | 56.0 | C | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | Oct 21, 2003 | 6’2″ | 174 | R |
| 70 | Jake Karabela | 56.0 | C | Guelph Storm | OHL | Mar 7, 2004 | 5’11” | 170 | L |
| 71 | Alexander Suzdalev | 56.5 | LW | HV71 J20 | J20 Nationell | Mar 5, 2004 | 6’2″ | 172 | L |
| 72 | Antonin Verreault | 57.5 | LW | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | Jul 28, 2004 | 5’8″ | 163 | L |
| 73 | Julian Lutz | 58.0 | F | EHC München | DEL | Feb 29, 2004 | 6’2″ | 185 | L |
| 74 | Brandon Lisowsky | 58.0 | F | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | Apr 13, 2004 | 5’9″ | 172 | L |
| 75 | Jorian Donovan | 59.7 | D | Hamilton Bulldogs | OHL | Apr 5, 2004 | 6’2″ | 181 | L |
| 76 | Cruz Lucius | 60.0 | RW | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Apr 5, 2004 | 6’0″ | 176 | R |
| 77 | Ruslan Gazizov | 61.0 | F | London Knights | OHL | Jan 21, 2004 | 5’11” | 187 | L |
| 78 | Jagger Firkus | 61.5 | F | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | Apr 29, 2004 | 5’10” | 154 | R |
| 79 | Pano Fimis | 61.7 | C | Niagara IceDogs | OHL | Jun 17, 2004 | 5’10” | 174 | R |
| 80 | Jordan Dumais | 62.0 | RW | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | Apr 15, 2004 | 5’9″ | 165 | R |
| 81 | Tyler Brennan | 62.5 | G | Prince George Cougars | WHL | Sep 27, 2003 | 6’4″ | 190 | L |
| 82 | Arseni Koromyslov | 63.8 | D | SKA-1946 St. Petersburg | MHL | Nov 3, 2003 | 6’3″ | 181 | L |
| 83 | Spencer Sova | 65.3 | D | Erie Otters | OHL | Jan 10, 2004 | 6’1″ | 185 | L |
| 84 | Fraser Minten | 67.0 | F | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | Jul 5, 2004 | 6’1″ | 185 | L |
| 85 | Alexander Pelevin | 67.0 | D | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | MHL | May 16, 2004 | 5’11” | 172 | L |
| 86 | Cameron Lund | 68.0 | C | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | Jun 7, 2004 | 6’2″ | 185 | R |
| 87 | Isaiah George | 69.5 | D | London Knights | OHL | Feb 15, 2004 | 6’1″ | 194 | L |
| 88 | Otto Salin | 69.5 | D | HIFK U20 | U20 SM-sarja | Mar 7, 2004 | 5’11” | 192 | R |
| 89 | Kirill Dolzhenkov | 71.0 | LW | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | Apr 20, 2004 | 6’6″ | 236 | L |
| 90 | Colton Smith | 73.5 | LW | London Knights | OHL | Feb 9, 2004 | 6’2″ | 207 | L |
| 91 | Vinzenz Rohrer | 73.5 | RW | Ottawa 67’s | OHL | Sep 9, 2004 | 5’11” | 168 | R |
| 92 | Gavin Hayes | 73.7 | RW | Flint Firebirds | OHL | May 14, 2004 | 6’1″ | 176 | R |
| 93 | Mathew Ward | 75.0 | F | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | Jan 24, 2004 | 5’8″ | 157 | L |
| 94 | Maddox Fleming | 77.0 | RW | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Feb 13, 2004 | 6’0″ | 179 | R |
| 95 | Marek Hejduk | 78.0 | F | U.S. National U18 Team | USDP | Jan 3, 2004 | 6’0″ | 181 | R |
| 96 | Reid Schaefer | 79.0 | LW | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | Sep 21, 2003 | 6’3″ | 214 | L |
| 97 | Noah Warren | 79.5 | D | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | Jul 15, 2004 | 6’5″ | 214 | R |
| 98 | Jack Devine | 80.0 | RW | Univ. of Denver | NCAA | Oct 2, 2003 | 5’11” | 172 | R |
| 99 | Samuel Savoie | 80.0 | C | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | Mar 25, 2004 | 5’10” | 190 | L |
| 100 | Brennan Ali | 81.0 | C | Avon Old Farms School | USHS-Prep | Feb 9, 2004 | 6’1″ | 194 | L |
