The Montreal Canadiens won the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery, giving them their first overall pick in the upcoming entry draft and the chance to choose by consensus the best potential candidate, Shane Wright, at an event they’re hosting.
This will be the first time since 1985 – when the Toronto Maple Leafs chose Wendel Clark as the best choice – the team hosting the draft will choose first.
Entering the lottery, the Canadiens had the best chance of winning 18.5 percent after finishing the worst 22-49-11 in the league, just one season off the road to the Stanley Cup final. The Arizona Coyotes, who scored the fewest goals in the NHL this season, held the second-best odds of 13.5 percent.
In three of the last five lotteries preceding this one, teams with the first two odds have been in the top two.
The Buffalo Sabers had the worst record in 2021, giving them the best chance and winning the best choice. Later, they were the first to choose the overall dynamic blower Owen Power. Seattle’s Kraken is ranked No. 2, although it has the third best odds, ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and selected Matt Beniers second overall. Anaheim went with Mason McTavish after falling one place to third overall.
Although there are still months until the draft, which will take place on July 7-8 at the Bell Center in Montreal, it is widely believed that Wright’s name will be the first to be called, even when the difference between him and the rest from the field has decreased. the season. His journey to the top of the NHL Draft began before he was 16, when he received exclusive status to play in the OHL, scoring 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games as a 15-year-old.
A well-rounded center with a diverse, sophisticated set of skills, whatever it lacks the excitement of Wright’s impact on ice, it compensates with consistency. As captain of Kingston Frontenac this season, Wright finished eighth in the OHL and plans to be the top-level NHL center in the future.
However, other players have recently risen on board to fight for first place.
Logan Cooley, perhaps the most dynamic player available, was ranked second in our final model before the lottery.
Juraj Slafkovski, who was named MVP of the Olympic Games for his role in helping Slovakia win a bronze medal, was ranked 2nd, but was recently awarded 3rd place in our rankings.
Here’s how the whole lottery came about.
16. Vegas Golden Knights (will be exchanged for Buffalo Sabers)
15. Vancouver Canucks
14. Winnipeg Jets
13. New York Islanders
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
11. San Jose Sharks
10. Anaheim Ducks
9. Buffalo Sabers
8. Detroit Red Wings
7. Ottawa Senators
6. Chicago Blackhawks (will be exchanged for the Columbus Blue Jackets)
5. Philadelphia Flyers
4. Seattle Kraken
3. Arizona Coyotes
2. New Jersey Devils
1. Montreal Canadiens
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