The headline topic of 2022 NHL Draft discussion has been Shane Wright, and rightfully so. The Canadian forward has long been regarded as the eventual No. 1 pick for this draft class.
But one of the names that could give Wright a run for his money is Logan Cooley, the top American prospect in this year's class.
Cooley is a member of the United States National Team Development Program, which is known for producing the best and brightest American hockey players. He played two years in the program and will head to the University of Minnesota in the fall.
A lot of players from the program will have their names called in July at the draft, but Cooley's will most certainly be first. He's seen as a top-five prospect with the potential to be selected right after Wright.
Logan Cooley scouting report
The 18-year-old is as complete a player as will be found in the draft. He's a responsible, two-way center with a knack for excelling in the faceoff dot. He's creative on offense and can shut down opponents in his own zone. Cooley comes with a high hockey IQ.
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A knock on him is his size. He's listed at 5-10 and 174 pounds. But there is an opportunity for him to continue to grow and get stronger to play in the NHL.
Here is what Smaht Scouting's Paul Zuk said about Cooley.
"Logan Cooley’s style of play is one which every team in the NHL could use on their roster. He’s an extremely talented two-way forward, and where he may lack in size to some, he certainly more than makes up for it by playing an extremely mature game in all areas of the ice. Cooley can be trusted in every situation, regardless of how the game is playing out. His two-way game is arguably amongst the top of the class, if not already sitting atop the list."
If Wright was not a part of this draft class, it's likely the team winning the lottery would be winning the chance to choose Cooley. But he's going to be an excellent consolation prize for whoever goes second.
Background
Cooley was born in Pittsburgh. He grew up playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program, where he competed through his age-16 year.
He scored 83 points in 69 games with 14U team in the 2018-19 season. He followed that up by playing eight games with the 15U team before bumping up and skating with the 16U team as a 15-year-old, recording 46 points in 45 games.
USNTDP career
Cooley joined the U.S. national program ahead of the 2020-21 season and competed for the U17 and U18 teams. He saw immediate success with the U17 team, registering 16 goals and 16 assists in 27 games. He added 14 points in 19 games with the U18 team.
This season, he played with the U18 team for the entire season. Cooley followed up his successful first year with the program with an excellent 2021-22 campaign, finishing second on the team with 75 points and 48 assists. He trailed only Isaac Howard in both categories.
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International career
Cooley has represented the United States for two seasons. Last year, he skated at the U18 World Junior Championship. He recorded two assists in five games as the U.S. lost in the tournament quarterfinals.
This year, he was on the U.S. roster for the World Junior Championship and played in one game before the tournament was canceled. He recently skated for the red, white and blue at the U18 World Junior Championship again, and he produced a much higher output than in 2021, collecting 10 points in six games. The team fell in the gold-medal game to Sweden.
