With just 41 days until the 2022 NHL Draft, it's time for another installment of 'Names To Know', where we take a look at this year's draft prospects who the Blue Jackets could select. The draft is one of the most important days of the hockey calendar. That proves especially true for the Blue Jackets, who have the sixth and 12th overall picks in the draft.
There are plenty of possibilities for how the Jackets use those picks and which players they will select. For our previous editions of 'Names To Know', please click on the links in the table.
Previous Names To Know
Today I will be taking a look at Logan Cooley, a 5-foot-10-inch 174-pound center who has committed to playing college hockey for the Minnesota Golden Gophers next season. Cooley is a center who just finished his second season in the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP). In 51 games this season, he finished second on the U.S. National U18 team in scoring with 75 points, 27 of which being goals. In 24 games for the USNTDP Juniors this season, a team that competes in the United States Hockey League (USHL), Cooley finished second on the team in scoring with 36 points and tied for fifth with 13 goals.
Cooley also shined on the international stage, particularly at the 2022 U18 World Championship, scoring three goals and 10 points in six games, highlighted by a 'Michigan' goal he scored in the quarterfinals.
LOGAN COOLEY PULLS A MICHIGAN!
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 28, 2022
Goal of the #U18Worlds so far! pic.twitter.com/0hDPuXDvwe
He was named the tournament's best forward, an award previously won by Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Nikita Kucherov. In his only game at the World Juniors, Cooley jumped off the screen several times and picked up an assist as well.
Corey Pronman, the Senior NHL Prospects Writer at The Athletic, had this to say about Logan Cooley, his No. 3 ranked prospect, on May 10.
Cooley is a dynamic player. When he has the puck on his stick you instantly notice him because of his high-end speed, skill and offensive IQ. He can make highly creative dekes and passes at full speed. The pace of his game is why I think he will be a top NHL player. He takes pucks up the ice and to the net often. Cooley lacks size, but he plays hard. He can drive play at even strength while also having the vision and shot to be a power-play threat running a unit from the walls. He projects as a first-line forward; as a center, he would be a low-end first-line center in the NHL.
Source: https://theathletic.com/3297887/2022/05/10/nhl-draft-lottery-ranking/
In the first installment of 'Names To Know', Dan Dukart wrote about Matthew Savoie and linked a video from David St-Louis, who does great prospect writing for eliteprospects.com. This video is a breakdown of one of Cooley's games in October 2021 as a part of the 'Let's Watch' series on Elite Prospects' YouTube channel.
NHL Central Scouting compared Cooley to Mitchell Marner, even though Marner plays right-wing. Nevertheless, high praise for Cooley, who likely will not be available after the top five picks.
| TSN/Bob McKenzie | #2 |
| NHL Central Scouting (North American Skaters) | #2 |
| Eliteprospects.com | #3 |
| TSN/Craig Button | #2 |
| Sportsnet | #2 |
| The Athletic/Corey Pronman | #3 |
Where Cooley ends up will be decided on July 7. But for now, all we can do is speculate.
