2022 NHL Draft: Metropolitan Division needs

The 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held July 7-8 at Bell Centre in Montreal. The first round will be July 7 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are July 8 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at the needs for teams in the Metropolitan Division. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

The 2022 NHL Draft provides an opportunity for teams to strengthen positions of need with young talent.
Here are what Metropolitan Division teams could be looking to do at the draft (listed in alphabetical order):
CAROLINA HURRICANES
Top priority:Best available
First pick: No. 60
The situation: The Hurricanes have made 33 picks the past three years and struck gold with forward Seth Jarvis, who was selected with the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Jarvis had 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 68 regular-season games and eight points (three goals, five assists) in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games as a rookie this season. Goalie
Pyotr Kochetkov
, a second-round pick (No. 36) in the 2019 NHL Draft, also gained valuable experience this postseason because of injuries to Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta. He could battle for the backup spot next season or take the lead role with Chicago of the American Hockey League. Without a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Carolina's goal will be to continue to load up with talent at all positions.
Possible fits:
David Spacek
, D, Sherbrooke (QMJHL);
Topias Leinonen
, G, JYP Jr. (FIN);
Paul Ludwinski
, C, Kingston (OHL)
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Top priority:Best available
First picks:No. 6
The situation:The Blue Jackets have a number of promising prospects in center Kent Johnson (No. 5, 2021 NHL Draft), right wing
Kirill Marchenko
(No. 49, 2018 NHL Draft), and defenseman
Corson Ceulemans
(No. 25, 2021). Goalie Daniil Tarasov (No. 86, 2017 NHL Draft) is also close to becoming an NHL regular after he finished with a 2.40 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in four games this season. Columbus has seven picks in the draft, two in the first round (also No. 12), so it has the trade bait needed to possibly upgrade the roster right away.
Possible fits:
David Jiricek
, D, Plzen (CZE);
Joakim Kemell
, RW, JYP (FIN);
Matthew Savoie
, C, Winnipeg (WHL)
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Top priority:Forward and goaltending
First pick: No. 2
The situation:New Jersey failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth straight season and for the ninth time in 10 seasons since losing the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. Although it received contributions from many young players, including a breakout season from Jack Hughes (56 points in 49 games), the organization needs to address its goaltending issues and scoring depth. An emphasis was made at defenseman last offseason with the additions of Dougie Hamilton in free agency and Ryan Graves via a trade with the Colorado Avalanche, but the Devils used a team-record seven goalies. Starter Mackenzie Blackwood missed significant time last season, including 41 games because of a recurring left heel injury, and backup Jonathan Bernier played 10 games before missing the rest of the season with a hip injury. The Devils shouldn't be expected to draft a goalie with the No. 2 pick, so support up front should be the priority.
Possible fits:
Juraj Slafkovsky
, LW, TPS (FIN);
Logan Cooley
, C, USA U-18 (NTDP);
Shane Wright
, C, Kingston (OHL)
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Top priority:Lineup depth
First pick:No. 13
The situation: New York failed to qualify for the postseason after advancing to the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and the Stanley Cup Semifinals last season. They hired Lane Lambert as coach May 16 to replace Barry Trotz, who was fired seven days earlier after four seasons in New York. The Islanders couldn't get on a roll after injuries and COVID-19 contributed to the unraveling of their season early on, but they also struggled to score again, finishing tied for 22nd in the NHL at 2.79 goals per game. The Islanders only have five picks in the draft, so they will likely choose the best available player. Lambert's nephew,
Brad Lambert
, is projected to be chosen in the first round.
Possible fits:
Kevin Korchinski
, D, Seattle (WHL); Brad Lambert, C, Pelicans (FIN);
Conor Geekie
, C, Winnipeg (WHL)
NEW YORK RANGERS
Top priority: Forward depth
First pick: No. 63
The situation: The Rangers are in good shape for the foreseeable future with left wing
Alexis Lafreniere
(No. 1, 2020 NHL Draft), right wing Kaapo Kakko (No. 2, 2019), defensemen Adam Fox and K'Andre Miller (No. 22, 2018), and goalie Igor Shesterkin (No. 118, 2014 NHL Draft) in the fold. On top of that, left wing prospect
Brennan Othmann
(No. 16, 2021) finished seventh in the Ontario Hockey League with 97 points (50 goals, 47 assists) in 66 games for Flint, and defenseman Braden Schneider (No. 19, 2020) had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 43 regular-season games and three assists in 20 playoff games as a rookie with the Rangers. New York has four picks in the upcoming draft, so it could bolster its prospect pool at forward since centers Ryan Strome and Andrew Copp each can become an unrestricted free agent July 13.
Possible fits:
Matyas Sapovaliv
, C, Saginaw (OHL);
Devin Kaplan
, RW, USA U-18 (NTDP);
Cruz Lucius
, RW, USA U-18 (NTDP)
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Top priority: Defenseman and forward depth
First pick: No. 5
The situation:The Flyers finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL (25-46-11) and missed the playoffs for the sixth time in 10 seasons. They allowed 3.59 goals per game (sixth-most in the NHL), 34.0 shots on goal per game (fourth-most), and traded captain Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers on March 19. Mike Yeo, who replaced Alain Vigneault as coach Dec. 6, was fired May 3 and replaced by John Tortorella, who was hired June 16. There are a few young players looking to make their mark with the Flyers, including defensemen Cam York (No. 14, 2019) and
Egor Zamula
(free agent), and forwards
Wade Allison
(No. 52, 2016 NHL Draft),
Isaac Ratcliffe
(No. 35, 2017), and
Tyson Foerster
(No. 23, 2020). Bobby Brink (No. 34, 2019) also took a step toward a full-time NHL spot next season with four assists in 10 games after helping the University of Denver to an NCAA championship. The Flyers have six picks in the draft, so look for them to fill needs at defenseman and forward.
Possible fits: Logan Cooley, D, USA U-18 (NTDP);
Simon Nemec
, D, Nitra (SVK); David Jiricek, D, Plzen (CZE)
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Top priority:Center depth
First pick:No. 21
The situation:The Penguins were eliminated in seven games by the Rangers in the Eastern Conference First Round, the fourth straight season they have failed to win a playoff series. They can't rely on centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang forever. Crosby, who will turn 35 on Aug. 7, is signed through 2024-25, but Malkin, who will turn 36 on July 31, and Kris Letang, 35, can each become an unrestricted free agent July 13. Pittsburgh has drafted 15 players the past three years, but only two centers (both selected in 2021 draft) and one defenseman. The Penguins have five picks for the fourth straight season, so look for them to try and shore up those two positions.
Possible fits:
Nathan Gaucher
, C, Quebec (QMJHL);
Jiri Kulich
, C, Karlovy Vary (CZE);
Danila Yurov
, RW, Magnitogorsk (RUS)
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Top priority: Best available
First pick:No. 20
The situation:The Capitals have qualified for the playoffs in eight straight seasons but have not won a series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. The future of center Nicklas Backstrom remains uncertain because of hip resurfacing surgery, and their core of captain Alex Ovechkin (turns 37 on Sept. 17), right wing T.J. Oshie (turns 36 on Dec. 23), and defenseman John Carlson (turned 32 on Jan. 10) is aging. Washington got of glimpse of its promising future, though, in defenseman Martin Fehervary, who had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 79 games last season, and forward Connor McMichael, who had 18 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 68 games. The Capitals made 15 picks the past three years, and center
Hendrix Lapierre
(No. 22, 2020) and defenseman
Vincent Iorio
(No. 55, 2021) are considered two of the top prospects at their respective positions. Expect them to choose the best available player with their six choices this year.
Possible fits:
Owen Pickering
, D, Swift Current (WHL);
Ty Nelson
, D, North Bay (OHL);
Noah Warren
, D, Gatineau (QMJHL)
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