Buds Board Keepers League

*Queue Sportscenter music*

Hello and welcome to the 2022 BBKL Post Draft special. Here we'll sit down with our panel of experts and dissect each team and their selections. With me is Bob MacKenzie, Craig Button and Darren Dreger to help us sift through each of the teams' 2022 draft class.

We'll begin this edition by issuing an apology for not having aired the analysis of the 2021 Draft class. While the episode was filmed it was decided not to air it due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic had on scouting services across the globe and as a result; the draft class itself. We predict that the 2021 draft class will be an absolute mess and we didn't want to make bigger fools of ourselves than what Craig Button already does for us on a day-to-day basis.

This year's draft is a move back to normalcy with GM Chuck and his Montreal Canadiens hosting this year's draft in person in Montreal. This is the first time in the past couple of years where prospects had a full season to play that wasn't interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and we hope that this class will be much more accurate than last years as a result. There was lots of storylines to watch in this draft: Would Shane Wright go 1st Overall or would Juraj Slafkovsky play spoiler? How would the Russian factor play out given the conflict currently in Ukraine? Would Nashville dominate the draft as in previous years on the backs of unsuspecting GMs giving away their 1sts? Would Pittsburgh actually make a selection at all? Would recent reclamation project Frank cause half the league to rage quit with terrible trades mid-draft? Find out here now!


#32 - Vancouver Canucks Grade F-

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #19
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #27

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

Button's take: We'll start with arguably the lowest bar set by any team in BBKL history: GM Fraser and his Vancouver Canucks. Sporting three selections this draft the Canucks made the terrible mistake of sending their scouting service a week late to Montreal to attend the draft and as such all three picks were dropped. Attempts to reach GM Fraser for an interview have so far gone unanswered but a release issued by GM Matthew on his behalf stated that Fraser said he had a mix up in his schedule, hence the error and that he was "Sorry to hold up the draft". A rather embarrassing turn of events for the Canucks organization as a whole.


#31 - Pittsburgh Penguins Grade F-

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #30
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #30

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

Dreger's take: For the fourth year in the row GM Mike had zero selections for a Penguins organization in desperate need of new blood. The farm is barren with little to look forward to coming through the pipeline to help an aging roster improve. Embarrassingly the Penguins organization through the past 3 GMs have selected a total of 6 prospects combined in the past 9 years!!! GM Mike needs to do something for his organization because status quo is clearly not working.


#30 - Washington Capitals Grade F+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #26
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #2

Value Pick: Adam Engstrom

Reach Pick: None

MacKenzie's take: In typical GM Thom fashion the Washington Capitals traded away both their 1st and 2nd round selection and yet still had the highest pick since the 2019 draft. Using his 3rd round selection GM Thom reaches on Chaz Lucius - someone with some NHL upside but given other options on the table at this point he could have done better. The next two picks in the 5th and early 6th rounds are then outright whiffs by the Caps when mercifully GM Thom finds some late round value in Adam Engstrom out of Djurgardens in Sweden. A final whiff by the Caps in the 7th completes this draft class. Given the number of selections GM Thom had it was very disappointing to see him go only 2-for-5 and his highest selection being a reach.


#29 - Colombus Blue Jackets Grade D

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #11
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #9

Value Pick: Jesper Vikman

Reach Pick: None

Button's take: Mr Slow N' Steady himself, GM Dave went a little off the rails this year by trading away his first round selection. This is the first time since the 2015 draft that he has not owned his own 1st round pick. Given aging pieces like Anze Kopitar and Jamie Benn still present on a rebuilding team it was disappointing to see that more wasn't done in acquiring prospects and picks to help the rebuild along. To open the draft class the Jackets find some early value in Kasper Kulonummi - a smooth skating Dman with solid international output. Next up was Alex Bump in the 5th which we feel is good value. GM Dave makes his only whiff of the draft in the 6th round missing his mark. Closing out this class was a nice value selection in Jesper Vikman a goaltender from the WHL. Nothing to see here.


#28 - Philadelphia Flyers Grade D

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #15
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #20

Value Pick: George Fegaras

Reach Pick: None

Dreger's take: After a respectable playoff push by GM Shep the Philadelphia Flyers were looking to restock the cupboard a bit. Missing his top two picks GM Shep certainly had his work cut out for him. With their first selection the Flyers tell the rest of the draft tables that the Russian factor is a non-factor by selecting Viktor Neuchev - a really nice selection at this spot. Next the Flyers extract some value in the 5th round by selecting George Fegaras - a near point per game player in the OJHL. GM Shep then misses the mark with his next two selections and then in the late 6th goes back to Russia and takes Sergei Ivanov. One of the more interesting storylines of this draft was when at the end of the 6th round GM Shep and his scouting team suddenly left the building with a 7th round pick still unused. Sources within the Flyers organization point to the embarrassment of former Flyers GM Lee storming the draft floor mid 6th and screaming about "How slow the draft was going" and that he "Wanted a new team".


#27 - New York Islanders Grade D+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #17
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #17

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Brandon Lisowsky

MacKenzie's take: Making his triumphant return after unceremoniously being removed from the league nearly a decade ago; GM Frank sat at his first draft table at the head of the New York Islanders lacking in early round selections. With his first selection GM Frank takes a risk and selects undersized forward Jordan Dumais. Scouts had him listed anywhere from a 2nd round prospect all the way to listed as unranked. Next the Isles make a big reach in Brandon Lisowsky and we feel that there was much better options on the board here. GM Frank then misses the mark with his next selection but then selects Mason Beaupit and Daniil Sobolev in the 5th and 6th rounds. A final miss in the 7th caps off this group. Some risk reward with this group but we did want to mention that we grade GM Frank an A+ for not making any terrible trades this draft.


#26 - Dallas Stars Grade C-

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #27
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #18

Value Pick: Oskar Pettersson

Reach Pick: None

Button's take: After another disappointing playoff run by GM Willy another tall order was needed at the draft given his lack of picks. In the 3rd round the Dallas Stars select Bryce McConnell-Barker a solid two-way center from the OHL. Next the Stars go tyo Russia to select Daniil Orlov who put up respectable numbers in the Russian Junior League. To close out this class was GM Will'ys best selection in Oskar Pettersson who tore up Sweden's junior league. Nothing too wild here just solid all around selections given the picks GM Willy had to work with.


#25 - Anaheim Ducks Grade C-

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #10
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #4

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

Dreger's take: After being utterly devastated losing to GM Matt in the BBKL finals for the second year in a row - GM Matthew was yanked from his alcohol infused slumber and fed copious amounts of coffee in an attempt to sober him up in time for the BBKL draft. With only 3 picks there wasnt much to work with but a coveted 2nd rounder was on the horizon. With said 2nd rounder the Ducks select Dman Christian Kyrou who possesses huge offensive upside but has yet to learn that being a defenseman requires you to play defense. With a large gap between picks GM Matthew was observed mid-draft dozing off in his chair and one wondered if he had slipped some Bailey's into his coffee at the table. This was because his final two selection were complete misses and questions arose if Matthew was already half-sauced again on his way out the draft door. It will be an interesting off season for GM Matthew in his quest for a BBKL Championship.


#24 - Ottawa Senators Grade C-

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #31
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #25

Value Pick: Dylan James

Reach Pick: Hugo Havelid

MacKenzie's take: For the first time since 2019 GM Billy actually had draft picks at his disposal at the BBKL Draft. As the BBKL dumping ground for aging players was GM Billy going to try and infuse his farm with some youth to help with the future? With his first selection in the 4th round GM Billy nabs some solid value in Dylan James - the top-scoring first-year draft-eligible USHL player. With his 5th round selections the Sens miss on both Hugo Havelid and Ruslan Gazizov. While disappointing both 5ths were missed the value of James cannot be understated.


#23 - Colorado Avalanche Grade C

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #12
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #3

Value Pick: Fraser Minten

Reach Pick: Fabian Wagner

Button's take: For the third straight year GM Craig didn't own his own 1st round pick but still held his second along with a number of mid round picks. Would BBKL's self-proclaimed "Draft Guru" be able to extract the gems from these mid rounds as he likes to claim? With his first selection GM Craig selected Danny Zhilkin who possesses a nice mix of skating and skill. Next the Avs select Fraser Minten - who has the look of a bona-fied bottom 6er but not much ceiling beyond that. Fabian Wagner was a bit of a reach but Dennis Hildeby is very intriguing; especially in the 5th round. A couple late misses cap off this draft class. Only time will tell whether GM Craig's prophetic tendencies pan out or not but we feel like he does have some NHL upside in at least 3 of his selections.


#22 - New York Rangers Grade C+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #8
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #11

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Servac Petrovsky

Dreger's take: For the first time since the 2016 BBKL Draft GM Kyle did not have a 1st round selection to stock his rebuilding cupboard with; but with two 2nd rounders there was still some nice assets to be unearthed. In the 2nd round the Rangers select David Goyette and Elias Salomonsson - two solid slections in this range both with NHL prospects. Moving into the third GM Kyle slightly misses the mark and reaches for Vladimir Grudinin and Servac Petrovsky; two players who we feel would have made a steep drop in this class had GM Kyle not selected them. Reid Dyck closes out this draft class as an NHL-framed goalie out of Swift Current. Two hits and two misses - a rather mixed bag here but some nice assets nonetheless.


#21 - Toronto Maple Leafs Grade B-

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #22
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #12

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Josh Filmon

MacKenzie's take: We managed to confirm this story through multiple sources but when GM Welchie and his scouting group arrived at the Bell Centre; they were initially denied entry as no one knew who they even were. After running around the lobby screaming "I am the Toronto Maple Leafs GM" his identity was verified and they were allowed admittance. A message was immediately sent to the BBKL Competition Committee to call off the cadaver dogs looking for the missing Toronto Maple Leafs GM. With his 1st round selection GM Welchie selected Liam Ohgren who tore up the Swedish Junior ranks and got the call up to the SHL with Djurgarden. The Leafs next selection was a large reach of Josh Filmon in the 3rd round - a big miss at this stage of the draft. In the 4th the Leafs take Gavin Hayes who is a decent pick in this range. A final pair of misses in the 5th round completes GM Tyler's class. One can only hope that GM Welchie doesn't retreat back into his cave and begins to make moves to help shape his team going forward.

#20 - Calgary Flames Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #23
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #19


Value Pick: Samuel Savoie

Reach Pick: None

Button’s take: For the past 3 BBKL drafts GM Josh was limited to only 2 selections in each one. This year the Flames decided to try a different route and hung onto the majority of their selections this season. With his first selection GM Josh goes to Jiri Kulich – who had a dominant performance in the U-18s with 9 goals. Next up the Flames select Michael Fisher and Jakub Demek; both decent selections in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Samuel Savoie in the 5th round presents some value. A whiff in the 6th and drafting Joe Miller in the 7th close this class out.


#19 - Florida Panthers Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #29
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #5

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

Dreger’s take: For the first time since the 2019 draft GM Chris actually possessed his first and second round selections to use – albeit that’s all he had to use. With the Panthers first selection they draft Pavel Mintyukov – someone who has all the tools in terms of skating, shot and puck distribution although he has the tendency to try and do to much sometimes. With his second and final selection GM Chris selects Matyas Sapovaliv – another European playing in the OHL who thinks the game well and is a very good penalty killer. Nothing two wild here just two solid selections taken right where they should have been.


#18 - Boston Bruins Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #14
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #31

Value Pick: Niklas Kokko

Reach Pick: None

MacKenzie’s take: Possessing the least number of draft picks in his 3 year tenure with the Boston Bruins, GM Dan had to make sure he maximized his bang for his buck; and oh boy did he ever. Opening with his first round selection the Bruins took Frank Nazar – a player with fantastic skating and a relentless motor who some think might be underrated. Next up GM Dan selects arguably the top goalie prospect in this draft class in Topias Leinonen who has NHL size already in spades. To cap off the class the Bruins get a steal in Niklas Kokko in the 7th round of the draft – who put up fantastic numbers in Finland’s Junior circuit and got a taste of Liiga action. GM Dan definitely made the most out of his selections with three clear hits and zero misses. We only wish we could have seen him work that magic with a few more selections to further support his rebuild.


#17 – Carolina Hurricanes Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #4
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #23

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Semyon Demidov

Button’s take: Given the fact that GM Paul has had the benefit for 4 1st rounders in each of the past two drafts makes this one feel a little underwhelming. That being said with the coveted 2nd Overall selection the Hurricanes had their first chance at a true impact player and they wasted no time in selecting center Logan Cooley from the USNTDP program. Possessing a fantastic pro package; Cooley is a great skater and makes the players around him better. With his next selection GM goes to Finland and selects Aleksanteri Kaskimaki – who got his first taste of Liiga action this year and will be looking for more next year. A pair of misses in Semyon Demidov and Michael Mastrodomenico in rounds 5 and 7 respectively complete Paul’s smallest draft class in recent memory. As a whole the class is a little underwhelming but the value in acquiring Logan Cooley cannot be understated; hence the B grade.


#16 – Tampa Bay Lightning Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #13
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #5

Value Pick: Joaquim Lemay

Reach Pick: None

Dreger’s take: Year after year GM Jimmy does an admirable job of managing to retain the majority fof his team’s selections while bringing in some late round flyers to top off his draft class; and this year was no exception. With their opening pick the Lightning go with Denton Mateychuk – an offensive dman with hockey sense to spare. In rounds 2-5 selections Buchinger, Hinds, Beck, and Spacek were all respectable selections in their respective rounds. In the 6th the selection of Justin Ertel is decent value given his selection the previous year in the 3rd round. Joaquim Lemay in the 6th round was also good value. Impressive that all 10 selections were picked with no outright misses.


#15 – San Jose Sharks Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #7
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #10

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Ilya Kvochko

MacKenzie’s take: Averaging 13 selections over each of the past 3 drafts meant that GM Josh’s 2022 class of only 7 would be a stark downgrade in assets for his San Jose Sharks. Opening his draft GM Josh selects Jonathan Lekkerimaki, a dynamic goal scorer who cut his teeth in the SHL against men. 2nd and 3rd round selections in Havelid and Forsmark were decent selections at their respective spots. The Sharks only reach of the day was in the 4th round with Ilya Kvochko who didn’t make our draft boards. Kurth and Plante are respectable prospects and the class is capped off with a miss on Brayden Schuurman. Nothing all that wild here; one reach that missed but no crazy value obtained either. We do like the Lekkerimaki selection though.


#14 – New Jersey Devils Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #7
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #10

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Tyler Duke

Button’s take: In his ever continuing effort to rebuild the New Jersey Devils farm team after many a GM’s abuse; GM Brendon had a full slate of slections to make yet again in this draft. The Devils first selection was Filip Mesar – a great skater with high end hockey IQ. Next up was Paul Ludwinski who provided some moderate value in the 3rd along with Alexander Suzdalev. A miss on Tyler Duke in the 5th hurt this class ever so slightly but GM Brendon hits again with Alexis Gendron in the 6th. His final selection in the 7th was a shot in the dark but also missed. All in all a respectable draft class and the Devils farm system continues to improve and look better year after year.


#13 – Montreal Canadiens Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #6
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #3

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Marek Hejduk

Dreger’s take: Clearly the busiest BBKL GM at the draft, GM Chuck made many moves both up and down doing his best to maximize his assets while trying to obtain future value as well. Trading up a spot from #11 to #10 the Habs selected giant centerman Connor Geekie. A polarizing figure from this draft class we’ll see if this pans out in the next few years or not. Jumping into the 3rd GM Chuck takes a shot on one-dimensional Ludwig Persson – a dynamic scorer in the Swedish junior league but provides little defense. The Habs then get busy in the 4th round with 7 selections this round. Rohrer, Karabela, Furlong and MacDonald are all decent selections but GM Chuck misses on Ali and Hejduk. Oliver Johansson provides nice value from the 2021 draft and a final miss on Aaron Pionk closes the Habs’ day.


#12 – St. Louis Blues Grade B

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #25
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #13

Value Pick: Josh Pillar

Reach Pick: Ivan Zhigalov

MacKenzie’s take: For the first time since the 2019 Draft GM Nick owned his own 1st round selection. With it the Blues take Kevin Korchinski – a big defenseman with elite skating. Next up in the 3rd GM Nick selects Leevi Merilainen a goaltender from the sens system and their 2021 draft class who has been performing well. In the 4th round the Blues take Barbashev and Donovan who both provide ok value at this stage. Luca Munzenberger I the 5th was a nice selection but Ivan Zhigalov presents a bad miss at this stage. Ludvig Jansson in the 6th is alright followed by another miss in the 6th with Oskar Asplund. Josh Pillar in the 7th provides decent value.


#11 - Las Vegas Golden Knights Grade B+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #21
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #22

Value Pick: Gavin White

Reach Pick: Matthew Seminoff

Button’s take: Lacking middle round selections, GM Brian had to work some magic between 3 1st round selections and a plethora of late round ones. With his 1st selection GM Brian opts for Joakim Kemell – a proven goal scorer with a fantastic shot. Next up for the Knights was Lane Hutson – a divisive prospect due to his size but his offensive production is hard to overlook. The final 1st round selection was Calle Odelius with arguably the best skating of all defensemen in this entire draft class. Jumping into the 3rd Matthew Seminoff was a very big reach and a poor selection here. Late round picks of Brunet, Jackson and White are decent but nothing wild. Three misses between the 6th and 7th rounds makes one wonder if GM Brian should bring in some new scouts to assist in late round selections.

#10 – Los Angeles Kings Grade B+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #5
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #28

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

Dreger’s take: After having only late round selections in the 2021 Draft GM Steve was instead looking forward to a much earlier round draft class this time around. With a coveted top 5 pick GM Steve elects to take Matthew Savoie a diminutive forward with skill and hockey sense to spare. Next in the 2nd round the Kings select Seamus Casey and Jack D. Hughes, both presenting decent value at these selections. In the 3rd GM Steve nabs one of the top two goalie prospects in this class in Tyler Brennan. Dominic James and Angus Booth provide alright value in the 5th round. Nothing too wild; just solid all-around drafting this time out for GM Steve.


#9 – Edmonton Oilers Grade B+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #9
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #8

Value Pick: Marek Alscher

Reach Pick: Pano Fimis

MacKenzie’s take: A model of draft consistency in the BBKL, GM Arian has had a top 10 finish in every rankings since this show’s inception. Having acquired a plethora of extra 2nd and 3rds the Oilers were set to continue building a winning team with a solid farm system. Opening his draft GM Arian makes a slight reach on Jagger Firkus but still a solid selection. In the 2nd the Oilers acquire solid selections in Del Bel Belluz and Sykora with a slight reach on Perevalov. In the 3rd selections of Moldenhauer, Hamara, Mazur and Greene are all good picks in this range. Two major whiffs in the 4th in Fimis and Livanavage are the only blips in the this entire draft class. GM Arian’s final two selections provide solid value in Jugnauth and especially Alscher who was an absolute steal in the late 7th round.


#8 – Seattle Kraken Grade A-

Value Pick: Stiven Sardarian

Reach Pick: Brad Lambert

Button’s take: Making their first appearance in this ranking, the Seattle Bitch Pigeons (can we say that on TV?) and their inaugural GM David had a whopping 19 selections to really try and kick start the Kraken’s farm. Holding a top 12 selection the Kraken swing for the fences on Brad Lambert. Either a top 10 selection or not a 1st round talent; draft pundits are all over the player in their evaluation of this player. We rank Lambert in the back half of the 1st round and aren’t the biggest fan of this selection at this spot. Tristan Luneau is a decent selection, if a bit early as a late 1st rounder. Warren and Poitras in the 2nd round and Robertson and Haight in the 3rd are all solid selections. Nothing flashy in the 4th with Spicer. In the 5th GM David goes 1-for-4 landing Joshua Davies but missing on Silverstein, La Starza and Hujer. Moving the the 6th the Kraken had a huge 7 selections to try and find some value. Opening the 6th the Kraken get decent value in Muszelik and Kudryavtsev. Next up solid value is acquired in Krutil and the round’s lone miss in Hauser. Closing the 6th was fantastic value in Sardarian and Galloway. Healey in the 7th presents good value as well. Overall not enamored with the front half of this draft class but GM David really extracted fantastic value in the later rounds of this draft.


#7 – Winnipeg Jets Grade A-

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #20
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #16

Value Pick: Jonathan Myrenberg

Reach Pick: Zackary Lavoie

Dreger’s take: Making a big jump in this year’s ranking is GM Luke and his perennial middle of the pack Winnipeg Jets. The Jets did a good job acquiring selections in the opening half of the draft so GM Luke had the ability to push the needle in the 2022 Draft. With a coveted top 6 pick the Jets select defenseman David Jiricek – a nice core piece for this team moving forward. In the later 1st GM Luke selects Jimmy Snuggerud who presents as a possible BBKL stud at his size and skill. Nelson, Lorenz and Duda are all solid – if unspectacular selections in the 2nd round. Larocque and Korhonen are decent value in the 3rd round. The lone miss from this class takes place in the 5th with the selection of Zakary Lavoie. Lucas Forsell is a decent choice in the 5th and final selection of Jonathan Myrenberg presents solid value in the 7th. Overall this class isn’t anything overly special; no crazy value was truly found but this class does present as just good, solid overall picks.


#6 – Minnesota Wild Grade A

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #2
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #29

Value Pick: Sam Rinzel

Reach Pick: Adam Ingram

MacKenzie’s take: “Mr. I Hate Drafting Late” himself continued the trend of trading away late round selections and acquiring more early round pieces. With his opening selection GM David takes Danila Yurov – a selection we really like at this range. Next up in the 1st was Owen Pickering, a solid defender and another selection we like at this range. Opening the 2nd round Adam Ingram was a bit of a reach but phenomenal value was found in Sam Rinzel the the back half of the 2nd round. The lone mid-range selection was Cedrick Guindon who was decent at this range. Were a big fan of many of the pieces taken in this draft class and GM David has done a solid job of restocking the Wild’s farm with high end blue chip prospects.


#5 – Detroit Red Wings Grade A

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #28
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #26

Value Pick: Reid Schaefer

Reach Pick: Logan Morrison

Button’s take: For the first time since the 2016 BBKL Draft GM Scott and his Detroit Red Wings actually had a 1st round selection to use; and this first time since the 2014 BBKL Draft since they had more than one 1st round selection at their disposal. The Red Wings then waste no time in selecting Cutter Gauthier a highly coveted winger out of the USHL. In the mid 1st Ruter McGroarty presents a nice 1-2 punch in revitalizing the Wings farm. Owen Beck is good value in the 2nd and Reid Schafer was a really nice selection in the late second round. Mid round misses in Morrison and Sova are very disappointing given who was still on the board in their respective rounds. Ottavainen from the 2020 draft class was a decent selection in the 6th round. McLaughlin, Kashnikov and Tverberg are solid picks but nothing to write home about. We here at TSN hope that this is a sign of things to come as GM Scott starts taking his farm system seriously as a direction for success for this Wings team moving forward.


#4 – Arizona Coyotes Grade A

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #18
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #15

Value Pick: Cameron Lund

Reach Pick: None

Dreger’s take: In possession of 2 top-15 selections in this year’s draft; GM Duncan and his Arizona Coyotes had a real chance to make some waves this draft. With the 4th Overall selection the Coyotes select Simon Nemec – a high end defenseman with fantastic skating. In the mid 1st GM Duncan then goes with Marco Kasper – another solid selection at this spot. Jani Nyman is a decent selection in the 2nd round. Fantastic value is nabbed in the 3rd with Cameron Lund and Jordan Gustafson is decent at 79 overall. Gage Alexander and Sandis Vilmanis are decent mid draft selections. A final whiff in the 6th in Samuel Mayer is the only miss in this ground. A phenomenal 1st round followed by decent 2nd and 3rd rounds really make this an all around solid class for GM Duncan.


#3 – Nashville Predators Grade A+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #1
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #1

Value Pick: Filip Nordberg

Reach Pick: Mats Lindgren

MacKenzie’s take: THE KING HAS FALLEN. After having dominated BBKL drafts in recent years GM Mik and his Nashville Predators have dropped to 3rd place this year. In typical Mik fashion the Predators were in possession of a plethora of selections and predictably went European heavy again this season. In the 1st round the Predators select Ivan Miroshnichenko and Noah Ostlund – two very enticing selections for the mid 1st round. Moving into the 2nd Filip Bystedt presents some decent value at 41 and selections of Lutz, Ronni, Lindgren and Kaplan are all decent. Dolzhenkov, Koromyslov and Otto Salin are all decent if unremarkable. Malek in the 4th is alright. Pettersson in the 5th is good value and will be fun to see him play with the other Pettersson one day. Jellvik from the 2021 draft class dominated the junior leagues in Sweden. Johansson is good late round pick. Arguably the steal in this years BBKL draft was Filip Nordberg – huge forward out of Sweden’s junior leagues. While he has decent skating and compete we do question if he has the hockey sense to actually make the jump to the next level. Theo Wallberg in the 6th is fine and the lone miss of this class is Andrei Malyavin. Aside from the value presented in Nordberg, this is the first time GM Mik has had difficulty pulling multiple European rabbits out of his hat that us North Americans knew nothing about. Maybe were starting to see the scouting BBKL improve to the point where Mik’s European exposure is no longer to benefit it once was?


#2 – Buffalo Sabres grade A+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #24
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #21

Value Pick: Taige Harding

Reach Pick: Jack Devine

Button’s take: For the first time since the 2018 BBKL Draft GM Matt had a 1st round pick to work with. Not only that but this was the first time in his entire GM tenure that he has multiple 1sts to use. Wasting no time the Sabres select Isaac Howard and Lian Bischel – two fantastic selections in the late 1st round. Moving into the 2nd both Nathan Gaucher and Maveric Lamoureux present phenomenal value as we had them tagged as 1st round selections. Isaiah George in the 3rd has great skating but we worry about his hockey sense. Jack Devine was the big reach from this draft class as his skating really holds him back. Daniil Ivanov and Beau Jelsma are the two big misses from this class. Taige Harding was one heck of a selection in the 7th round and presents rock solid value here. We are a huge fan of this group of selections. Whereas GM Mik had many picks and drafted decent but didn’t really wow us a ton; we feel GM Matt made multiple hits time and time again and really outdid his draft positions.


#1 – Chicago Blackhawks Grade A+

2020 BBKL Draft Ranking: #6
2019 BBKL Draft Ranking: #7

Value Pick: Juraj Slafkovsky

Reach Pick: None

Dreger’s take: The Chicago Blackhawks went some turmoil in the month leading up to this years BBKL Draft. Citing “life is more important than fantasy hockey” (we don’t understand what he means by that) former GM Mark gave up the reins to his team and leaving a void in ownership. Thankfully a new GM was found rather quickly in GM Booboo (this guy clearly needs a new handle). In a kudos to Mark’s tenure he did leave the new GM with two of the top 3 selections in this draft and that pretty much guarantees you’re going to get top spot in these rankings and massively accelerate the Hawks’ rebuild. With the 1st overall selection the Hawks opt for Shane Wright who to most pundits was without a doubt the number one choice. Moving down to the 3rd selection GM Booboo gets a steal in Slafkovsky who was the next closest in contention to the first overall choice. Getting arguably the top 2 selections from this draft class is absolutely massive for the Hawks and their rebuild. Ryan Chesey is a bit of a reach in the late 1st but still has some potential in the BBKL format given he’s a bit of a throwback defenseman. Trikozov in the 2nd is a decent pick and in the 4th selections of Finley, Matikka and Langlois are all respectable. Capping off this class is Connors and Komarov who are rather ho hum. With the sheer volume of high end 1st round talent that’s been acquired in recent years its only a matter of time before the Hawks come bursting out of the gate and become contenders in the BBKL once again.


And with that we have completed TSN's Post Draft Analysis of the 2022 BBKL draft. From myself, Craig Button, Darren Dreger and Bob MacKenzie we thank you for joining us. Goodnight from Montreal!

These are always very fun. Thanks for taking the time to write this stuff up whoever you are!!!

Tyler was replaced by Welchie unless he is also a Tyler.

I know how much time these take to write up since I do power rankings. Great read and still no idea why the GM doesn't want credit for putting in the work, but it's appreciated.

Love it! Can't wait to read the rest!

I'm over the moon to not see myself in the first post of any of these review threads. I figure I'll be in the middle third.

Bruyns wroteCOLONTyler was replaced by Welchie unless he is also a Tyler.

I know how much time these take to write up since I do power rankings. Great read and still no idea why the GM doesn't want credit for putting in the work, but it's appreciated.

Figured it was you haha

I think I guessed you last time, I’m going with Josh now.

Bruyns wroteCOLONI think I guessed you last time, I’m going with Josh now.

Which Josh? Cgy Josh is the English teacher.

Not I, I assumed Matthew

man its chuck. every year.
and every year you dont rmb lol

kimmer wroteCOLONman its chuck. every year.
and every year you dont rmb lol

Don't ruin the mystery

Chuck Norris wroteCOLONLove it! Can't wait to read the rest!

When are you writing it?

Bruyns wroteCOLONI think I guessed you last time, I’m going with Josh now.

Grammar would be much better

My draft would have look alot different if I had more time analyzing the pre draft ranking. Where I really went wrong was not going with the safer pick in Feaser Minten at 100 instead of Brandon Lisowsky. Also i should have taken my two gem and simply didn’t listen to myself with my late picks ( hudson Thornton and Fenenko) . On a side note trading up for Beaupit at 152 was worth it. I’ll be ready next year!!

it's not chuck..! let the mystery stay LOL

Is it Arian?

I fucking love these.

I got the + woo!!!

TheNudge wroteCOLONIs it Arian?

..ur so fucking dumb