2022 NHL Mock Draft: Montreal Canadiens Get It Right With Shane Wright

The Sharks are going nowhere and they need prospects that will sell tickets. Enter Jonathan Lekkerimaki. This kid has all the potential in the world to score goals by the bunches at the NHL level. He has incredible vision, a high hockey IQ, a fantastic slapshot, an equally great wrist shot and is also a very underrated playmaker. The issue, however, is that San Jose, or anyone else for that matter, has to draft him with an important fact in mind – he won’t carry the team on his own. That’s not saying that there’s anything wrong with his attitude that he’s selfish or that he doesn’t have the drive. Lekkerimaki is a great teammate. The issue is that he’s a very below-average skater. Hopefully, as he keeps maturing his skating and lower body strength will improve to hopefully reach NHL standards. That’s the best we can hope for at this time. The issue behind his poor skating is that you can only use him in specific offensive situations. It will likely bring you success, however, seeing him trying to backcheck is like skating through slush. Still, too good offensively to pass up. Patrick Lortie

The Blue Jackets added some serious talent up front in last year’s draft with Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger. This year, the Jackets address the back end first taking Jiricek, and now adding Mateychuk with their second pick of the first round. Mateychuk is a player that I think is a little underrated in this draft. I think his upside is pretty high, with the opportunity to be a very good offensive defenseman in the NHL. Mateychuk is great with the puck on his stick, and he would certainly be classified as a puck-moving defenseman, the question will be about how he can play away from the puck. But I think Columbus adds a very good player to an increasingly good blueline with this pick here. Ryan Praught

Marco Kasper may not be available when the 13th pick of the draft rolls around, but if he is, I’d be shocked if the Islanders passed on him. Kasper plays a high-energy game. He’s one of the best forecheckers in the class, one of the best defensive forwards in the class, and I’d argue that he’s also the most NHL-ready player in the class. His game will be very effective in an NHL middle-six as an intense, responsible, and gritty centreman. He isn’t the most dynamic or skilled player, but he plays a simple and highly effective game. He’s a great net-front presence with the hand-eye coordination to deflect pucks, the intensity to wreak havoc, and the determination to whack in rebounds and loose pucks. He will score his goals from close proximity to the crease. The virtual guarantee of getting a decently impactful NHL player is too much for Lou Lamoriello to pass up here. Sebastian High

Joakim Kemell is really fun to watch when he doesn’t have the puck. It is like a masterclass on where to go and what to do in the offensive zone when one of your teammates has the puck. He is always open to fire a very good one-timer off a pass from a teammate, or to pounce on a rebound. The problem is that he struggles to produce offense on his own and playing physically. It is important to note that Kemell has been playing in the Liiga, Finland’s top league, and producing good offensive numbers, which could explain some of his physical and defensive timidity. The skill is there, if Kemell can develop his physical and on-puck game, he can be a very dangerous offensive threat. Joshua Rosa

The brother of current Seattle Kraken forward Morgan Geekie, Geekie fits a description not to a dissimilar to a lot of prospects who have come through the woodwork over the past few seasons, especially for the Canadiens. Think of a Riley Kidney, or Joshua Roy, or even a Xavier Simoneau, and amplify parts of their respective qualities, and Geekie would be an intriguing and promising addition to a Canucks team full of prime, potentially deadly offensive talent. Much like Dawson Mercer with the New Jersey Devils this year, I could see Geekie quickly fitting into an NHL role in the bottom six to begin, akin to have Conor McMichael or Alex Newhook fared this year. With solid offensive awareness and playmaking abilities, Geekie is a secure and talented selection at 15th overall and would only add to Vancouver’s already deep pipeline. Scott Cowan