The countdown to the 2022 NHL Draft is officially on.

With most junior leagues around North Americaunderway, draft season is officially upon us. Diehards will be treated to plenty ofstorylines over the course of the next nine months and there is certainly no shortage of them. Just likethere isno shortage of talent in the 2022 NHL Draft cla s.

FCHockey breaks down the 10 prospects you'll wantto keep tabs on throughout the season (in alphabetical order).

Geekie, a 6-4 center, split his time between the Virden Oil Capitals of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and Winnipeg. During his nine games with the Oil Capitals, he registered four points (one goal, three a sists). A return to play protocol was then announced by the WHL in April of 2021, prompting him to return to the Ice. Geekie finished the season with an impre sive 23 points (nine goals, 14 a sists) in 24 games despite a shortened season. He comes from a hockey lineage too, with his father Nick Anderson Jersey Craig playing three seasons in the Western Hockey League in the 1990s, and his brother Morgancurrently in the Seattle Kraken organization.

Geekie is an offensive-leaning power center who leveraged his combination of size and skill to make a difference in this game against Regina from start to finish, FCHockey cro sover scout Brandon Holmes said.

Kemell spent most of his draft minus-1 season in JYPs U20 program, putting up 36 points (22 goals, 14 a sists) in 38 games. He even earned a one-game call-up to play in Liiga, scoring in that appearance. Already on the radar of scouts well in advance of the 2021-22 scouting season, Kemell continued to impre s at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he was always trying to make something happen with the puck. He po se ses one of the best shots in this draft cla s already and is not afraid to use it. Hes got traits of Christian Arroyo Jersey a versatile goal scorer who can find the back of the net in many ways.

Using his speed, he is able to catch defenders flat-footed and cut to the middle of the ice for shot attempts in the high danger area, FCHockey cro sover scout Curtis Schwartzkopf noted. Kemell also has very soft hands and can put a fine touch on his pa ses, oftentimes using a saucer pa s to open a pa sing lane that has already been taken away.

NHL DRAFT2022:

Lambert has been billed as a top pick in the 2022 draft for a few years, and his dynamic offensive ability continues to keep him in that conversation. Last year, Lambert played a full season in Liiga for JYP and ama sed 15 points (seven goals, eight a sists) in 46 games. He also represented Finland at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship last spring andthe 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. In the latter, he showed off his high-end offensive skills as one of the youngest players for Finland in the winter tournament.

He has good hands in tight and uses his edgework to create space for others, said FCHockey Tampa Bay Rays Jersey scout Mat Sheridan. In transition, he is able to pick up speed using his cro sovers and is not afraid to attack lanes as he heads up the ice.

McGroarty is a big-bodied center with a dynamic offensive skillset. In 2019-20, McGroarty played 63 games for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U team and finished with 160 total points (82 goals, 78 a sists).He spent the 2020-21 season playing with both the USA U18 and U17 teams and appeared in the WJC-18 tournament. In his 30 USHL games, McGroarty finished with 12 goals Steven Souza Jersey and seven a sists.

He does a good job at finding open ice in the slot to present himself as a pa sing option and always battles hard for positioning in front of the net, Sheridan said. He has good vision and is able to hit teammates in the slot with a crisp, hard pa s, even under pre sure.

A regular at the international level in recent years for Ru sia, Miroshnichenko projects to be among the top goal scorers and pure shooting threats available in the 2022 NHL Draft cla s. He has become a star for the 2004 cla s of Ru sians at the international level, captaining gold medal-winning teams at both the Youth Olympic Games and Hlinka Gretzky Cup in recent years, while also being a member of Ru sias silver medal squad at the Under-18s.

In his debut season in the MHL, Miroshnichenko became a reliable contributor for Omskie Yastreby with 15 points (five goals, 10 a sists) in 20 games played, earning him a promotion to Avangards VHL club to start the 2021-22 campaign.

His shot is NHL ready, he generates a ton of power behind his shot and has a quick release and pinpoint accuracy that will beat goalies from anywhere, mentioned FCHockey scout Austin Broad. If you give him open space in the offensive zone he will make you pay.

Nemec spent the 2020-21 season playing for HK Nitra where he registered 19 points (two goals, 17 a sists) in 37 games. He went on to Peter Fairbanks Jersey represent Slovakia at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, recording four a sists in five games as a crucial key inSlovakias run.He was a captain at this past year's Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament, where he led the Slovaks to a Silver medal and put up six points (goal, five a sists) in five games. Nemec was named the tournament MVP.

Nemec is a very gifted two-way defenseman that is effective on both ends of the ice, FCHockey scout Douglas Larson said. All aspects of his defensive game are exceptional, especially when looking at his rush-defense. Nemec is not afraid to shoot the puck when he sees an opening, and when he did it was low as he was shooting for a tip or rebound. His decision-making needs some work, as I often saw him making a quick decision that was often not the best decision.

FCHOCKEY:

With uncertainty surrounding last year's WHL season, Savoie played four games with the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) recordingsix points (three goals, three a sists). After that short stint, Savoie found himself Ji-Man Choi Jersey south of the border playing for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He posted 38 points (21 goals, 17 a sists) in 34 games with the Fighting Saints and was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team, but has returned to the WHL this season and is expected to be atop forward for the Ice alongside Geekie.

Hes a chameleon on offense, one shift hes an elite playmaker who finds his teammates with ease, on the next hes a power forward using his skating a body to bulldoze through defenders and cut to the net Broad said.Hes a multi-dimensional offensive threat that adapts and changes his method of attack every time he touches the puck.

Last season, Slafkovsky starred with TPSs squad in the U20 SM-sarja league andrecorded 13 points (eight goals, five a sists) in 16 games. This past winter, h