While the rest of the hockey world debates the relative merits of top NHL Draft prospects Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky and Logan Cooley, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button has no doubt who’s No. 1.

“I never considered another player at No. 1,” Button said. “No other player showed me that he was better than Shane Wright."

The Kingston Frontenac centre tops Button’s final Craig’s List ahead of the July 7 draft in Montreal where the host Canadiens hold first pick.

Wright recorded 32 goals and 94 points in 63 games in 2021-22 and had three goals and 14 points in 11 playoff games. Granted exceptional status to enter the Ontario Hockey League as a 15-year-old in 2019, the Frontenacs captain faced questions about his game and intensity at the recent NHL combine.

“I was in Dallas, and we drafted Jarome Iginla 11th overall [in] 1995,” Button said. “And it’s eerily similar. We drafted Jarome and a lot of people said, ‘Oh geez, what do you see in Jarome Iginla?’ There wasn’t a lot of flash and dash to Jarome Iginla, [he] just was a strong player.

“It’s like I’m listening to the same stuff on Shane Wright. ‘Oh, well he doesn’t pull you out of your seat.’ I didn’t know that was a requirement to be a top-notch NHL prospect. I didn’t know you had to be wowed to recognize a talented NHL player. [His] IQ and compete [are] off the charts; [he] understands every single area of the game.”

Button has Slovakian left winger Slafkovsky No. 2 and American centre Logan Cooley No. 4. Sandwiched between Slafkovsky and Cooley is Finnish right winger Joakim Kemell at No. 3.

Slafkovsky jumps from No. 4 on lottery day to No. 2 in the final ranking. The 18-year-old had eye-opening performances at the Olympics and World Championships, including winning Olympic bronze and MVP honours with seven goals in Beijing.

“I really like Juraj Slafkovsky, and I think he’s a Pierre-Luc Dubois-type player,” said Button. “I think he’s got power and drive to his game.”

Kemell comes in at No. 3 after a season where he had 15 goals and 22 points in 39 games for JYP in the Liiga.

“When I’m looking at him and watching all the skills he has, I think he’s dynamic, I think he’s got a great, fast brain,” said Button. “I think he’s got fast hands. He can score in multiple ways.”

With Slafkovsky and defenceman Simon Nemec (No. 5) set to go in the top 10, it will be the first time since 2005 that two Slovak players will go in the first round of the draft. The last Slovak to be selected in the first round was forward Marko Dano, who was chosen 27th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013.

Four Russians are ranked in the first round in Pavel Mintyukov (No. 11), Danila Yurov (No. 12), Ivan Miroshnichenko (No. 15) and Alexander Perevalov (No. 21). The “Russian Factor” will be on the minds of teams as they look to navigate the political process amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr confirmed at the draft combine that Miroshnichenko, who was undergoing treatment this season for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has completed treatments and is cleared to return to the ice.

Two of the biggest risers in the Craig’s List final ranking are Austrian centre Marco Kasper, who went from No. 27 to No. 17, and USA Hockey National Team Development Program defenceman Lane Hutson, who leaps into the first round after going from No. 39 to No. 31.

Kasper had seven goals and 11 points in 46 games as a teenager playing in Sweden’s top league with Rogle and starred with Austria at the World Juniors and World Championships.

Hutson is one of the smaller players in the draft, coming in at 5-foot-8 and 158 pounds. The Chicago, Ill. product put up 10 goals and 63 points in 60 games last season and was named best defenceman at the 2022 U18s where the Americans earned silver.

“I watched Torey Krug at a similar stage and Torey Krug’s been a really good NHL player,” said Button. “I think Lane Hutson can be that as well.”

Hutson is one of seven USNTDP players ranked in the first round of Craig’s List alongside Cooley (No. 4), Cutter Gauthier (No. 7), Jimmy Snuggerud (No. 8), Frank Nazar (No. 25), Rutger McGroarty (No. 26) and Isaac Howard (No. 32).

The current record for number of USNTDP players to go in the first round is eight, which was set in 2019 when Jack Hughes, Alex Turcotte, Trevor Zegras, Matthew Boldy, Spencer Knight, Cam York, Cole Caufield and John Beecher were all selected.

“One of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Button on this year’s USNTDP class.

 

Craig's List - Final

 
RK Player Team POS HT WT GP G P
1 Shane Wright Kingston (OHL) C 6'0 ½ 199 63 32 94
2 Juraj Slafkovsky TPS (SM Liiga Jr.) LW/C 6'4 229 31 5 10
3 Joakim Kemell JYP (SM Liiga) RW 5'10 ¾ 185 39 15 23
4 Logan Cooley USA U-18 (USHL) C 5'10 ½ 180 51 27 75
5 Simon Nemec Nitra (SVK) D 6'0 199 39 1 26
6 David Jiricek Plzen (CZE) D 6'3 189 29 5 11
7 Cutter Gauthier USA U-18 (USHL) LW/C 6'2 ½ 200 54 34 65
8 Jimmy Snuggerud USA U-18 (USHL) RW 6'1 ¼ 188 59 24 63
9 Jonathan Lekkerimaki Djurgardens (SWE J-20) RW 5'10 ½ 171 26 20 35
10 Kevin Korchinski Seattle (WHL) D 6'2 ¼ 185 67 4 65
11 Pavel Mintyukov Saginaw (OHL) D 6'1 ½ 194 67 17 62
12 Danila Yurov Magnitogorsk (KHL) RW 6'1 178 23 13 36
13 Owen Pickering Swift Current D 6'4 ¼ 180 62 9 33
14 Jiří  Kulich Karlovy (CZE) LW 5'11 ¼ 178 49 9 14
15 Ivan Miroshnichenko Omsk (VHL) LW 6'1 185 31 10 16
16 Jagger Firkus Moose Jaw (WHL) RW 5'10 151 66 36 80
17 Marco Kasper Rögle (SHL) C 6'0 ¾ 187 46 7 11
18 Liam Öhgren Djurgardens (SWE J-20) LW 6'0 ¾ 201 30 33 58
19 Matt Savoie Winnipeg (WHL) C 5'9 170 65 35 90
20 Reid Schaefer Seattle (WHL) LW 6'3 215 66 32 58
21 Alexander Perevalov Yaroslavl (MHL) LW 6'0 191 42 25 50
22 David Goyette Sudbury (OHL) C 5'10 ¼ 175 66 33 73
23 Luca Del Bel Belluz Mississauga (OHL) C 6'0 ½ 179 68 30 76
24 Denton Mateychuk Moose Jaw (WHL) D 5'10 ½ 194 65 13 64
25 Frank Nazar USA U-18 (USHL) C 5'10 180 56 28 70
26 Rutger McGroarty USA U-18 (USHL) C/LW 6'1 204 54 35 69
27 Calle Odelius Djurgardens (SWE J-20) D 6'0 ¼ 188 43 7 30
28 Mattias Havelid Linkoping (SWE J-20) D 5'9 165 29 10 19
29 Conor Geekie Winnipeg (WHL) C 6'3 ½ 190 63 24 70
30 Noah Östlund Djurgarden (SWE J-20) C 5'10 164 32 9 42
31 Lane Hutson USA U-18 (USHL) D 5'8 ¼ 158 60 10 63
32 Isaac Howard USA U-18 (USHL) LW 5'9 ¾ 180 60 33 82
                 
33 Tristan Luneau Gatineau (QMJHL) D 6'1 ½ 189 63 12 43
34 Julian Lutz München (DEL) LW 6'2 ¼ 187 14 1 3
35 Owen Beck Mississauga (OHL) C 5'11 ¼ 187 68 21 51
36 Christian Kyrou Erie (OHL) D 5'10 172 68 18 60
37 Sam Rinzel Chaska High (USHS) D 6'3 ¾ 180 27 9 38
38 Noah Warren Gatineau (QMJHL) D 6'5 224 62 5 24
39 Nathan Gaucher Quebec (QMJHL) C/RW 6'3 208 66 31 57
40 Seamus Casey USA U-18 (USHL) D 5'9 ½ 173 48 10 33
41 Ty Nelson North Bay (OHL) D 5'9 ¾ 199 66 9 51
42 Brad Lambert JYP (SM Liiga) RW 6'0 ½ 183 49 4 10
43 Gleb Trikozov Omsk (MHL) RW 6'1 185 35 23 45
44 Elias Salomonsson Skellefteå (SWE J-20) D 6'1 ¼ 183 35 11 22
45 Ryan Chesley USA U-18 (USHL) D 6'0 ½ 201 59 12 29
46 Tomas Hamara Tappara (SM Liiga Jr.) D 6'0 185 32 6 25
47 Cameron Lund Green Bay (USHL) C 6'2 192 62 25 50
48 Adam Sykora Nitra (SVK) LW 5'10 ¼ 172 46 10 17
49 Logan Morrison Hamilton (OHL) C 5'11 ¼ 179 60 34 100
50 Rieger Lorenz Okotoks (AJHL) LW 6'2 194 60 38 85
51 Dylan James Sioux City (USHL) LW 5'11 ¾ 177 62 28 61
52 Danny Zhilkin Guelph (OHL) C/LW 6'0 ¾ 196 66 23 55
53 Brennan Ali Avon (USHS) C 6'0 196 27 15 34
54 Matyas Sapovaliv Saginaw (OHL) C 6'2 ¾ 183 68 18 52
55 Lian Bichsel Leksands (SHL) D 6'5 ½ 224 29 1 3
56 Maverick Lamoreux Drummondville (QMJHL) D 6'6 ¾ 199 54 4 24
57 Arseni Koromyslov St. Petersburg (MHL) D 6'3 180 42 4 19
58 Jani Nyman Ilves (SM Liiga Jr.) RW 6'3 ½ 217 34 18 35
59 Filip Mesar Poprad (SVK) RW 5'9 ½ 174 37 8 16
60 Michael Fisher St. Mark's (USHS) D 6'2 ¼ 198 28 13 50
61 Hunter Haight Barrie (OHL) C/RW 5'10 ½ 174 63 22 41
62 Michael Buchinger Guelph (OHL) D 5'11 ½ 181 63 5 44
63 Tyler Brennan Prince George (WHL) G 6'3 ¾ 185 39 3.58 .899
64 Aleksanteri Kaskimaki HIFK (SM Liiga Jr.) C 6'0 ¼ 196 31 19 40
                 
65 Ludwig Persson Frolunda (SWE J-20) LW 6'0 178 41 25 61
66 Jordan Gustafson Seattle (WHL) C/LW 5'10 ½ 178 58 23 52
67 Tucker Robertson Peterborough (OHL) C 5'10 ½ 190 68 41 81
68 Artyom Duda Moskva (MHL) D 6'1 180 52 14 41
69 Filip Bystedt Linköping (SWE J-20) C 6'3 ¾ 204 40 16 49
70 Angus Booth Shawinigan (QMJHL) D 6'0 ¼ 177 42 1 23
71 Daniil Ivanov Moskva (MHL) D 6'4 209 47 9 30
72 Nick Moldenhauer Chicago (USHL) RW 5'10 ¼ 170 41 18 43
73 Jack Hughes Northeastern (NCAA) C 5'11 ½ 169 38 7 16
74 Bryce McConnell-Barker Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) C 6'1 ¼ 193 68 23 49
75 Vinzenz Rohrer Ottawa (OHL) C 5'10 167 28 8 22
76 Reid Dyck Swift Current (WHL) G 6'3 ¼ 190 23 4.26 .884
77 Kyle Jackson North Bay (OHL) C 6'2 191 45 30 62
78 Lucas Edmonds Kingston (OHL) RW 5'10 ¼ 181 68 34 113
79 Brandon Lisowsky Saskatoon (WHL) C/LW 5'8 ¼ 171 68 33 58
80 Topi Ronni Tappara (SM Liiga Jr.) C 6'2 181 30 11 29
81 Alexander Suzdalev HV 71 (SWE J-20) LW 6'1 ¾ 177 45 15 51
82 Mats Lindgren Kamloops (WHL) D 5'10 ¾ 173 68 5 44
83 Adam Ingram Youngtown (USHL) C 6'2 ¼ 161 54 26 55
84 Simon Forsmark Orebro (SWE J-20) D 6'2 191 39 0 3
85 Fraser Minten Kamloops (WHL) C 6'1 185 67 20 55
86 Kirill Kudryavtsev S.S. Marie (OHL) D 5'11 ½ 200 68 5 39
87 Matthew Poitras Guelph (OHL) C 5'11 177 68 21 50
88 Topias Leinonen JYP (SM Liiga Jr.) G 6'5 233 21 2.28 .916
89 Quinn Finley Madison (USHL) LW 6'0 166 39 12 29
90 Matt Seminoff Kamloops (WHL) RW 5'10 ¾ 180 64 26 57
91 Kocha Delic Sudbury (OHL) LW/C 5'10 184 65 17 46
92 Jake Karabela Guelph (OHL) C/LW 5'10 ¼ 172 68 12 45
93 Kasper Kulonummi Jokerit (SM Liiga Jr.) D 5'11 ½ 178 40 3 29
94 Paul Ludwinski Kingston (OHL) LW 5'11 184 67 16 43
95 Cruz Lucius USA U-18 (USHL) RW 6'0 ¾ 184 23 9 17
96 Josh Filmon Swift Current (WHL) LW/C 6'2 ½ 157 67 23 45