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This week’s column features our first 2022 NHL Draft prospect profile in Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs, who entered the season with high expectations. Brock Otten has been writing about the OHL for many years, and profiles the former OHL exceptional status player and number one pick, as he begins his draft year. There will be much more written about him before July 7th in Montreal you can be certain.
Chapin Landvogt reports from Europe with a look at the top three NHL-affiliated European prospects. Later round draft day gems for the Maple Leafs, Jets and Red Wings, acquired with third, fifth and sixth round picks respectively, these prospects are finding their game early this season and giving their fan bases something to get excited about.
The McKeen’s team are scouting and writing about prospects all season long and provide in-depth reports on our website: www.mckeenshockey.com[[ad:athena]]
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2022 NHL DRAFT: Quiet Start for consensus #1 entering season
By Brock Otten
2019-20 Kingston Frontenacs, OHL 58GP-39G-27A-66PTS
2020-21 Kingston Frontenacs, OHL (No games played)
2020-21 Canada U18, 5GP-9G-5A-14PTS
2021-22 Kingston Frontenacs, OHL 6GP-2G-4A-6PTS
Back in 2005, the Canadian Hockey League made a revolutionary decision to grant exceptional status for the first time, allowing a 15-year-old John Tavares to be selected in the OHL’s priority draft for U16 players. While 15-year-old players had previously played in the league in rare circumstances (with their hometown affiliates like Jason Spezza), this was the first time that a player would be allowed to be drafted a year early. This decision set in motion what would become a more frequent occurrence for those labeled as exceptional. Tavares’ success paved the way for Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, Joe Veleno, Shane Wright, and most recently, Connor Bedard (the first in the WHL), to play in their respective leagues as “underage” players.
Wright, selected first overall by Kingston in the 2019 OHL priority selection, is the only 2004 born player in the OHL who entered the season with previous experience in the league due to his exceptional status (and due to last season’s cancellation). In the pandemic shortened 2019/20 season, Wright’s U16 production (1.14 points per game) bested Connor McDavid (1.05 points per game) and came close to John Tavares (1.18 points per game), setting up royally high expectations for him heading into the 2021/22 season, his NHL Draft year.
Those expectations were made even more lofty after his performance at the 2021 World Under 18’s. Despite being a bit banged up at the tournament, he led Canada (as captain and leading scorer) to its first gold medal at the U18’s since 2013 (a team led by another “underager” in Connor McDavid).
Everything we have seen (and scouts have seen) from Wright previously has led him to be the runaway favorite for the first overall selection next July in Montreal at the 2022 NHL Draft. He is that potential franchise changing two-way center that every rebuilding team wants.
The 2021/22 season has certainly started the way that the Kingston Frontenacs would have hoped. They currently lead (as of writing this) the East Division and have a firm place in the CHL Top 10 rankings. However, Wright has not had the start that many expected he would. Yes, he currently sits at a point per game (again, as of writing this). However, his production has been inconsistent, and the Kingston second line led by overage rookie Lucas Edmonds and Dallas Stars draft pick Francesco Arcuri has far outshined the top unit led by Wright.
Wright entered the season as the odds-on favorite to win the league’s scoring title, so this slow start has caught some off guard. It would be one thing if he was snake bitten, however, there have been stretches to start the year where he just has not been his visible self. The reason? At this point, it could just be rust. Additionally, his linemate Martin Chromiak (a Los Angeles Kings draft pick) has also started slow and has struggled with his decision making, and it is clear that the duo misses Flyer’s draft pick Zayde Wisdom, out after offseason shoulder surgery.
The good news? It is still VERY early in the OHL season, a year after the league went without playing for an entire year. Slow starts had to be expected from some players, even if Wright was not supposed to be one of them. Shane Wright is too talented to not turn this around and become the dominant player we all know that he is and can be.
Without question, Wright’s best asset is his hockey IQ and ability to process the game. This has always been his standout quality, dating back to his minor hockey days with the Don Mills Flyers of the GTHL. Even as a 14-year-old playing with U16 players in the GTHL, he dominated both ends of the ice with his advanced decision making and understanding of how to play without the puck. It is this polished and advanced two-way game that has scouts aptly comparing him to Boston Bruins standout Patrice Bergeron.
Like Bergeron, Wright has no weaknesses in his game. His skating ability and quickness are well above average. His shot and release are major weapons. His vision and IQ make him an elite level playmaker. He competes physically. He is already a captain in the OHL as a 17-year-old. This is a player you want your team to have a shot at, slow start or not.
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PROSPECTS IN THE NEWS: Top Three Drafted European Prospects - Fall 2021
By Chapin Landvogt
On the prospect front, it’s a different season in Europe now that Canadian juniors, college hockey, and the AHL are up-and-running like in the “good old days”. This means that the focus for drafted prospects on the European front is much more clearly placed on those playing in their native countries, an almost foreign dynamic after a 2020-21 season that saw a myriad of North American youngsters plying their trade abroad. Here’s a look at three such draftees who are off to fantastic starts in the 21-22 season.
3) Elmer Soderblom - Left Wing (Detroit Red Wings)
2020-21 Frölunda, SHL 28GP-3G-2A-5PTS
2020-21 Sweden U20, WJC 5GP-2G-1A-3PTS
2021-22 Frölunda, SHL 14GP-6G-3A-9PTS
At a monstrous 6’8”, 238 lbs., Swedish left winger Elmer Soderblom has the potential of being a huge part of the Detroit Red Wings’ future - in more ways than one. A sixth rounder in the 2019 NHL Draft, he was selected straight out of Sweden’s junior leagues where he didn’t have particularly impressive stats, but the team obviously saw something in him (well, he’s hard to miss) and look to have gotten a great value pick. Noticeable at last winter’s WJC thanks not only to his immense frame, but also his two goals and three points, Soderblom is now playing in his second full season of SHL hockey and has taken things to a whole new level. Getting time on the power play and plenty of top line minutes over the course of 14 games for league powerhouse Frölunda, his six goals and nine points are good for third on the team in scoring.
2) Topi Niemela – Defenseman (Toronto Maple Leafs)
2020-21 Kärpät, Liiga 15GP-0G-4A-4PTS
2020-21 Finland U20, WJC 7GP-2G-6A-8PTS
2021-22 Kärpät, Liiga 15GP-2G-11A-13PTS
2021-22 Finland U20, INTL 7GP-2G-5A-7PTS
When the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Topi Niemela in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, there were surely few in the business who could have imagined that he’d go on to put up two goals, eight points, and a +4 rating several months later at the 2021 WJC. One can imagine that even fewer would foresee him leading Liiga defensemen in scoring in the 21-22 season at any juncture, much less after 15 games, but here we are with the slightly built defensemen having contributed two goals and 13 points for Kärpät. He’s clearly on pace to be one of the absolute key figures for Finland at the upcoming WJC.
1) Dmitri Rashevsky - Right Wing (Winnipeg Jets)
2020-21 Dynamo St. Petersburg, VHL 24GP-11G-5A-16PTS
2020-21 Dynamo Moskva, KHL 21GP-13G-7A-20PTS
A fifth-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets as an overager in his third year of eligibility, Dmitiri Rashevsky was skipped over somewhat surprisingly in his second year of eligibility after a dominating MHL season as a 19-year-old, where his production showed plenty of signs of the type of high-octane play needed to produce at higher levels as well. Ironically, his selection came on the tails of a season in which he played for five different teams in three different leagues. But last season has proven to be just the steppingstone he needed. Currently, he’s 14th in scoring in the entire KHL with 20 points in 21 games, having just turned 21 two weeks ago. More impressively, 13 of those 20 points have come in the form of goals, good for second overall in the league. Throw in his +11 rating for Dynamo Moscow and you’ve got the makings of a late bloomer whose season rightfully has Jets fans very excited.
