"How many years have we sat here and said, 'The Canadiens need to rebuild through the middle,'" Kimelman said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "Going back to when they took Jesperi Kotkaniemi (No. 3 in the 2018 NHL Draft), we've been saying they needed a center and now they don't have Kotkaniemi, they don't have Phillip Danault (Los Angeles Kings). They have some really nice wingers but need somebody to get them the puck and Shane Wright is a guy who can get them the puck."
Kimelman and Morreale also had identical choices with each of the next three selections, including left wing Juraj Slafkovsky of TPS in Liiga to the New Jersey Devils at No. 2, center Logan Cooley of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 Team to the Arizona Coyotes at No. 3, and defenseman Simon Nemec of Nitra in Slovakia to the Seattle Kraken at No. 4.
"Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said after winning the No. 2 pick that there's a lot of similar upside projection with the different positions and if that's the case, why not a player with the size of Slafkovsky?" Morreale said. "Slafkovsky has the reach, the strength and Dan Marr (Director of NHL Central Scouting) told us that while he doesn't like using the words 'NHL ready' with 18- and 19-year-old players, physically, Slafkovsky might be the closest to compete for an NHL job next year."
The real debate began with the No. 5 pick, where Kimelman had the Philadelphia Flyers choosing right wing Joakim Kemell of JYP in Liiga, while Morreale believes the selection will be defenseman David Jiricek of Plzen in the Czech Republic.
"Flyers GM] Chuck Fletcher has said they need to get more dynamic, need more offense, need faster players and Kemell fills all of those needs," Kimelman said. "He's a guy with the ability to put the puck in the net."
Said Morreale: "Jiricek, to me, is a potential No. 2 defenseman at the next level. He's menacing and his offensive game improved after returning from [a knee] injury. The Flyers need players who will support their goalie."
Each writer laid out reasons for choosing the player they did at each pick. Kimelman has six forwards from the NTDP among his top 16 selections.
The 2022 draft will be held at Bell Centre in Montreal on July 7. The first round is July 7 and rounds 2-7 will be July 8.
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Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class
