Mock NHL Entry Draft 2022: Toronto Maple Leafs Can Pick a Beauty

11th Pick – Winnipeg Jets
Conor Geekie (C)
6’4″, 205 lbs

With the eleventh pick, the Winnipeg Jets will gain an impact forward. Conor Geekie is having himself a solid year for the Winnipeg Ice.

Playing behind Savoie, Geekie has recorded 40 points in 38 games on 12 goals and 28 assists. Brock Otten from McKeen Hockey explained, “Geekie is that prototypical, big, power center that all NHL teams are coveting these days. He can control the pace of play and he can dominate down low because of his ability to protect the puck.”

12th Pick – Detroit Red Wings
Jonathan Lekkerimäki (C)
5’11”, 172 lbs

Jonathan Lekkerimäki proved that he is a dynamic scorer while playing for Djurgardens Jr. in Sweden. In fact, he is the team’s leading scorer. In 26 games, Lekkerimäki collected 20 goals and 15 assists for a total of 35 points.

He earned himself a promotion to his organization’s pro team in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). With Djurgardens IF, he has been a nice fit. Not surprisingly, Lekkerimäki isn’t producing at the same clip in the SHL, but he does have 15 games of experience. He has a total of four goals and two assists but what’s impressive is that his last five games has seen him compete on a different level. In those contests he notched two goals and an assist.

13th Pick – Vancouver Canucks
Frank Nazar III (C/RW)
5’10”, 174 lbs

This is the second player in a row who has a knack for putting pucks past goalies. Currently, with the USNTDP, Frank Nazar is a versatile forward who can play both up the middle and on the right side of the ice.

The Mount Clemens, Michigan native put together a 36 point campaign in 2021 thanks to 20 goals and 16 assists in just 31 games. This season, he’s back at it. In his first 14 games, he has 10 goals and 11 assists for a sum of 21 points.

Nazar is the sort of professional scorer that many teams will be looking for in this draft. He has committed to play for University of Michigan in the Big Ten next season.

14th Pick – San Jose Sharks
Elias Salomonsson (D)
6’1″, 172 lbs

The San Jose Sharks would be wise to add a defenseman with this pick, especially if right handed shooting Elias Salomonsson is still available.

This is a player who has been great for Skellefteå AIK J20 and rewarded with getting to play a handful of games for the organization in the Swedish Elite League. According the Europe based Blue Dispatch, Salomonsson is a “good two-way defenseman, a credible puck-mover, and strong both on and off of the puck. He is a smooth puck mover with impeccable passing execution and possesses swift hands that he can use to manage the puck in tight spaces.”

The guide further explains that Salomonsson’s game isn’t complete. He still “needs work on his defensive positioning and reads.”

15th Pick – Dallas Stars
Cutter Gauthier (LW)
6’2″, 189 lbs

The team at NHL Central Scouting believe strongly in Cutter Gauthier.

They have the 6’2″, 189 lbs left-winger, ranked at sixth overall for all North American skaters. Currently playing for Team USA in the USHL, he had 21 points in 32 game on 12 goals and  9 assists.

This season, he picked up right where he left off. Gauthier has 12 goals in 13 games. With the National U18 Team he has played 34 games where he’s accumulated 32 points on 20 goals and 12 assists.