The Fantasy Prospects Report was updated just over a week ago with our Mock Draft, plus several additional player profiles. It will be updated again either today or Tuesday, simply with notes in the Draftees section stating when they were drafted and by which team – and then handy links to and from that team's section. So keeper leaguers can use this document to evaluate all of that team's prospects quickly and easily.

Unrestricted Free Agency opens July 13, which is Wednesday.

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The NHL Entry Draft for this year went down on Thursday and Friday and I have a few thoughts I want to delve into. Primarily, I want to stress that this year's crop of draftees was on the weak side. For now. Over the next season I am sure that a dozen or more of these kids will surge in fantasy value, similar to how Wyatt Johnston surged over the last year. But as things stand now, there are very few sure things in this year's draft and of the "sure things" – the upside is limited. As you saw a few NHL teams do in the later rounds, you should consider it too. I'm talking about moving later draft picks for picks next year. If it comes down to a decision between dropping a player you aren't thrilled about dropping so you can use a pick, or trade the pick for the same round a year from now, take the latter.

Here are the picks I like the most, strictly from a fantasy standpoint…

1. Simon Nemec, NJD – A defenseman with a high offensive ceiling. Where that will end up, or how long it will take him to get there, is the million-dollar question. But after missing out on Cale Makar in my main dynasty league, I feel like I'm on a mission to find the next one. Even though I know in my heart of hearts that a Makar comes once per generation. I had my eye on taking Nemec this year, but now that New Jersey grabbed him second overall I have zero chance of getting him now. Had he slid to fifth, as he was in many mocks, then I had a shot.

2. Logan Cooley, ARI – This is about as high an upside as you'll get in this draft. I think the Coyotes got themselves another Dylan Guenther in terms of production upside, except that Cooley is a centerman. Potentially, he could develop over the next year and we talk about him in the summer of '23 the way we talked about Trevor Zegras a year ago. In terms of pure upside, Cooley is probably your best bet alongside Slafkovsky. But unlike Slafkovsky, we'll probably get good numbers from Cooley in three or four years (two at best) instead of five or six (four at best).

3. Juraj Slafkovsky, MTL – I really like Slafkovsky's upside, but I worry about Montreal fans coming down on him four years from now when he hasn't done anything yet. Can they sit through six years of Kaapo Kakko or Jesse Puljujarvi? Or Quintin Byfield? Because I suspect that's what they're in for. Slafkovsky is a big man with upside, and these guys generally take time. A lot of fans expect every first overall pick to come in and get 65 points right off the hop. I doubt he does that. And if he gets 'only' 35 points, then the fans will expect 65 in Year 2. But he probably won't do that either. And if he sees some time in the minors, or gets hit with a couple of minor injuries, managing just 30 points – then Montreal fans and media will start to get restless. What I want to see is steady growth. I'm okay with 35 points in a rookie year – just making the NHL is a huge deal. And if in the second year his numbers don't go up, I won't be panicking. I hope to see good numbers early, but honestly my expectation is for him to not reach 65 points until he's 24. That's in 2028. This is why I am happy I don't draft early in any of my dynasties this summer. I'll let the other owners grab Slafkovsky.

4. Shane Wright, SEA – I can't help but see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins here. RNH had 52 points as a rookie and 56 in years three and four. He didn't get to 69 (his career high) until his eighth year. I think Wright can get there sooner, and I think he can go a few points beyond that number, too. But in general, that's the progression I'm expecting.

5. Frank Nazar, CHI – I like Nazar's upside because our DobberProspects team really likes his upside. And our old friend, former DH and DP editor Cam Robinson loves him. Add in the fact that Chicago is having a fire sale and I like Nazar even more. Prospects have less of a wait time when they are in the system of an organization going through a rebuild. The Blackhawks are clearly going for Connor Bedard, which makes Nazar even more of an upside play.

6. Matthew Savoie, BUF – Very good upside, and you probably know that I have a soft spot for the small, skilled players. I like his landing spot as well, because as I noted above – rebuilding teams have plenty of room and opportunity. That gives him a higher likelihood and a lower wait time than he would have elsewhere.

7. Isaac Howard, TBL – Another player with very good upside, Howard is in a system that I believe will get the most out of him. However, with Tampa Bay he is likely looking at three seasons (two in junior, one in the AHL) before finally getting a sniff of the NHL. I give him a high NHL certainty, scoring-line upside, but a four-year wait time.

8. Jagger Firkus, SEA – Firkus fell further than he should have. Our staff had him ranked high, and when I went to the CHL top prospects game I thought he was the best player there over Wright and Savoie. He was arguably the prospect we figured had risen the most over the past six months – but it turns out he didn't rise much at all. He ended up getting taken 35^th overall. He greatest asset is between his ears, and you can't teach that. As long as he adds bulk, gets stronger and is developed properly, I think he can be a first liner. But of everyone on this list of 12, Firkus is the biggest risk.

9. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, VAN – Here is a player that both Dave Hall and I had in our Top 10 forwards for points-only leagues, we had him ranked Top 15 for the draft and he went 15^th overall to Vancouver. This is such a great fit, as the team has plenty of room for a high-upside winger in their top six for the longer term. He's a pure goal scorer who is likely just two seasons away, and I can totally see Elias Pettersson (not the one they just drafted, the older one currently on their team) feeding Lekkerimaki pucks all day long.

10. David Jiricek, CBJ – I would have this guy in my top three were it not for the wait time. In my main dynasty league I really need defenseman, and this guy may have the best upside out of all of them. But he won't be this Quinn Hughes who steps in at age 19 or 20 and lights it up. No, this is a serious long-term play. It could be six years before he seriously helps my league. But then again, he could take huge strides forward over the next year the way Detroit's Simon Edvinsson did over the last one. And for that reason, he's in my Top 10.

11. Marco Kasper, DET – And speaking of Detroit, I'm always looking for high-upside, highly-regarded players who get selected by teams that are rebuilding and have room. Enter Kasper. He's a complete player with a high degree of certainty that he'll make the NHL, and I like his chances in Detroit's system. He is considered reasonably close to being NHL ready right now, and this is a team that should have a spot for him in a year or two when he could make the jump.

12. Noah Ostlund, BUF – The only thing I like more than high-end skill is high-end hockey sense, because you can't teach that. The Sabres are a rebuilding team, though they do have quality young centerman already in the lineup which is the reason Ostlund is down a couple of slots on my list. But we were looking at a three- or four-year wait regardless.

And that's the full list of players I'm interested in from this draft today. A year from now, I have zero doubt that there will be another 10 or 15 who have jumped onto my radar. But higher picks such as Cutter Gauthier (PHI), Kevin Korchinski, (some questions about overall game), CHI and Conor Geekie (lower upside), ARI. While Pavel Mintyukov (ANA) and Rutger McGroarty (WPG) just missed my list and it came down to the wait time/upside balance. Joakim Kemell (NSH) missed the cut for this year because I'm not a fan of prospects coming through that system.

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But you can find out about all these players and every other good prospect out there via our Fantasy Prospects Report. Be sure to grab it. Since you're getting the Fantasy Guide anyway, just buy the Keeper League Fantasy Pack and the Prospects Report then costs you just an extra six bucks.

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See you next Monday.

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